Sorceress: Infinity War
by Lil Drop Of Magic
Summary: Life after the Accords is not what Hermione pictured it would be like and, as always, the threat of Thanos lurks in the background. Part SEVEN in series.
1. Chapter 1

Disclaimer: I own nothing to do with the Harry Potter Universe nor the Marvel Cinematic Universe

A/N: Hello! Welcome to the next instalment of the Sorceress series. I was going to wait until the New Year but, as you can see, I thought I'd start this fic a bit earlier - an early Christmas present for you all perhaps!

Just a quick note that this first chapter is _different _to my normal ones. I'll talk some more at the end...

* * *

"Thanos is coming!" Bruce gasped the moment after he felt himself crash onto solid ground. He looked up through the wreckage he'd caused with his landing and saw two robed men staring at him in surprise. "He's coming!"

The two men glanced at each other. One of them, a large Asian man, was holding his hands up defensively but they were shielded by glowing symbols.

"How do you know of Thanos?" the other man, adorned in a red cloak, asked warily.

"How do _you_ know about him?" Bruce countered, equally suspicious.

There was a pause when neither side spoke and then, at the same time, they all said, "_Hermione._"

Bruce scrambled to his feet. "You know Hermione Granger?"

"We know a Hermione Rogers," the cloaked man said.

"Shoot. Yes, that's the same person," Bruce explained. "I keep forgetting she and Steve got married. We've got to find her and warn her that Thanos is gathering the Infinity Stones. How do you know her?"

The two men exchanged another sidelong look. "That's a pretty long story."

Bruce shook his head. "I haven't got time to hear it - I told you, Thanos is coming!"

"Nevertheless," the cloaked man said, as he pulled Bruce out of the rubble with a wave of his hands and more glowing symbols, "I think, given your mention of the Infinity Stones, that it's best you hear some of it..."

* * *

Stephen only noticed her because she was in the library of Kamar-Taj almost as much as he was. Like him, she also seemed to have earned the approval of Wong because she was reading books from the Masters-only section of the library even though she didn't wear the robes of someone of that rank.

"How long did it take you to learn classical Sanskrit?" Stephen asked her once, noting that she was able to read the text without the aid of Google Translate like he was using until his photographic memory had him covered.

"When I was abducted into deep space, I was fitted with a translator that helps me understand all languages," she said not even bothering to glance up from her page.

Stephen laughed. Finally someone in this library had a sense of humour. "Good one," he said and then carried on his way to get more books from Wong.

After that exchange, he noticed her impressive displays in the training courtyard. Her mastery of the spellwork seemed exceptional to his somewhat untrained eye and he'd never seen her defeated in a physical confrontation.

Mordo saw him watching her one day and chuckled. "You don't know who she is, do you?"

Stephen looked at him curiously. "Am I _supposed_ to know who she is? I thought we were meant to leave everything we knew at the door - surely it doesn't matter who she was before she came here."

Mordo tilted his head in acknowledgement of his point. "In most cases that is true," he agreed. "But she was already capable of magic before she came here; it was just a slightly different branch." Stephen just stared at him in confusion until Mordo rolled his eyes. "I thought you were supposed to be clever," he muttered before explaining, "that's the Sorceress from the Avengers."

Stephen most certainly hadn't expected that.

When he saw her in the library that afternoon, he stood by her table and waited for her to look up. When that didn't happen, he cleared his throat, thrust out one of his nerve-damaged hands and said, "Doctor Stephen Strange."

She glanced up at his face, down at his offered hand and then back up to his face again. "Hermione," she greeted, shaking his hand politely. "What can I do for you, Doctor Strange?"

"Uh, Stephen, please. Do you mind if I sit?" he asked, indicating the seat opposite and she waved her hand to show she had no objection. "Thank you. Look, I'll cut straight to the chase." He held up his trembling hands. "I was in a road accident a few months ago and my hands suffered extreme nerve damage. I'm a neurosurgeon… _used to be_ a neurosurgeon," he corrected bitterly. "I came here to heal myself because western medicine failed me. However, despite all my diligent studying, my hands are no better." His gaze had inadvertently drifted downwards to his hands again and his body was wracked with a familiar sense of frustration. He needed to be a surgeon again - that was his identity, what he'd built his life around. Without his hands he was nothing.

He realised he'd been quiet for too long and he looked up to see Hermione was watching him closely. "I know who you are," he said bluntly in a misguided attempt to move on from the silence, "who you're known as beyond these walls."

Her previously impassive face became tense and guarded. He didn't know why an Avenger was studying here in Kathmandu but nor did he particularly care.

"Mordo mentioned that you can use magic differently than the way we study it here," Stephen continued. "Is that true?"

She nodded stiffly. "Here, anyone with the belief and the willpower can draw on the energy taken from the different dimensions of the multiverse to create spells. The magic _I_ was brought up with was only accessible by my family."

Stephen took in her words. "So I wouldn't be able to study your other form of sorcery?"

"You might be able to study and understand the magical theory but I'm afraid you wouldn't be able to perform it yourself," she replied with a hint of sympathy.

Stephen nodded, more than a little disappointed - and yet... "Are there healing spells in your branch of magic?"

Hermione briefly glanced down at his hands. "Yes," she said cautiously.

"Could they heal my hands?" he asked, unable to stop the familiar feeling of hope settling in his chest despite the unending disappointment he'd received in return.

Hermione hesitated. "Possibly," she eventually replied.

Stephen's mouth had gone dry. "Will you attempt it? Please. I've tried _everything._"

Hermione looked into his eyes but he didn't know what she was searching for because he thought his desperation was fairly obvious. "Tell me what exactly happened to your hands," she requested pushing her book to one side and reaching forwards to gently tug his hands towards her. When he hesitated, she arched an eyebrow at him. "I may not have a PhD, _Doctor_, but I have studied the human body extensively. Don't worry about confusing me with the necessary medical terms."

Stephen nodded and began to tell her about the classification of his nerve damage and the surgeries he'd been through to combat it. She waved her fingers over his hands and a number of colours hovered in the air. "I suppose these red lines represent the steel pins," she commented pointing to the scarlet hues. Stephen stared at the image, mesmerised by the glowing depiction of his injuries. "They'll probably make things more difficult," she murmured.

"But you can do it?" he asked eagerly.

She waved her hand and the lights disappeared. "I think so."

Before he could express his thanks a calm but clear voice behind them said, "Mrs Rogers, I wonder if I could speak to Mr Strange alone for a moment."

They glanced over to find the Ancient One smiling at them serenely.

"Of course," Hermione replied gathering her books and forcing them into the pockets of her robes, which didn't appear physically possible to Stephen but he was too distracted by a possible cure to think much on it. "I need to send an email to my cousin anyway," she murmured before bidding them both farewell.

"Are you going to sit or are we going for a walk?" Stephen asked the Ancient One. Despite her serene demeanour, he had a feeling that he was about to be rebuked.

"It's a pleasant afternoon," she said lightly, gesturing to the door. "Let us make the most of it."

He got to his feet and they strolled through Kamar-Taj in silence for a few minutes until Stephen could stand it no longer. "Why didn't you tell me that she might be able to heal me?" he asked, his annoyance evident.

"Hermione is not here to heal you," she replied unaffected by his tone.

"Does that matter?" he argued. "If she's here and she can help me, why would it be wrong for her to fix my hands?"

The Ancient One stopped and gazed over the rooftops of Kathmandu to the snow-capped mountains in the distance. "You came here for answers and learned that what you seek lies within you."

"True as that might be, that hasn't stopped my hands from shaking," he pointed out.

She turned away from the mountains to look at him. "So, now that there is the potential for an easier solution you will put aside all you have learnt here, disregard the ways you've grown over the past months and turn to someone else to solve your problem for you."

"That's what doctors do all the time," he reminded her. "When people can't fix themselves they turn to those who can."

The Ancient One smiled. "But unlike your patients, you _can_ fix yourself."

Stephen resisted the urge to turn away from her in frustration. He respected her wisdom and mastery of her skills, but that didn't mean that he didn't find conversing with her damned irritating at times. Nor did he appreciate that there were no simple answers here - everything had a convoluted path. He couldn't deny that everything he'd learned was fascinating but all he really wanted was to heal his hands so he could go back to being who he was meant to be!

"You are more than just a surgeon, Stephen," the Ancient One claimed, successfully reading his thoughts.

"Maybe I don't want to be," he retorted.

"That's because you don't know what you're capable of yet," she replied.

He swallowed his scoff at her mystical words and instead asked, "I know she's obviously not here for me so what is an Avenger doing in Kamar-Taj? What did she come here seeking?"

"Actually, I was the one that sought Hermione out rather than the other way round," the Ancient One revealed, much to Stephen's surprise. "Dark days are coming and I could see that there was more she could do with my teaching."

"Dark days are coming?" Stephen repeated. "I thought the Avengers had already had their fair share of those."

"Oh, they have," she agreed. "And possibly none more so than Hermione, but I sense there is worse to come..."

It was a while before he saw Hermione again but he wasn't surprised: the life of an Avenger must be quite chaotic (especially after those Accords seemed to force half of them to go into hiding).

He knew that he would be disappointing the Ancient One by asking Hermione to heal him, but really it was only his own personal fear of failure that stopped him from seeking her out. He'd built his career and reputation out of achieving things that no other surgeon would be able to complete. Now he was presented with his greatest challenge yet and, to up the stakes, it was personal. He had a perfect record to maintain. He wasn't ready to let himself be his first failure and he told Hermione as much the next time they were in the library together.

"I admire your decision," Hermione told him earnestly before walking back between the rows of shelves.

Stephen watched her curiously. He'd never paid much thought to the idea of the Sorceress despite being vaguely aware of her exploits along with the rest of the Avengers for the preceding five years. Stephen lived in the _real_ world, with _real_ people to treat. The lives of the Avengers might as well have belonged to some cinematic action heroes for all the relevance they had in his life. But even if he had spent a few moments conjuring up an image of the elusive Sorceress, he certainly wouldn't have come up with the real deal, mostly because she appeared surprisingly young. He estimated he had a good ten years on her and she'd been publicly taking on worldwide threats for half a decade. It unnerved him to think that the fate of humankind had partly been held in the hands of someone who'd been little more than a teenager at the time. She was obviously quite exceptional.

She didn't appear to take any pride in her obvious talents though and Stephen wondered if Hermione knew about the forthcoming 'dark days' that the Ancient One had alluded to. There was certainly an aura of solemnity around her that went further than her just being a devoted student, but that wasn't particularly unusual in Kamar-Taj. Most of the students were there because they had one grievance or another and although the Ancient One might have brought Hermione to Kathmandu, she obviously had her own burdens just like everyone else.

Her presence at Kamar-Taj over the next few weeks became increasingly sporadic but Stephen found his own mastery of the sorcery going from strength to strength, especially thanks to his ability to enter the Astral Dimension so that his Astral Form could study while his body slept.

The next time they spoke, she wasn't quite as passive as she had been before.

It was Stephen's fault.

But if the Masters of the Mystic Arts made it known that no knowledge was forbidden then Stephen could hardly be blamed for giving in to his curiosity and reading from one of the Ancient One's most advanced texts - more specifically, from the Book of Cagliostro: the text on time that the zealot Kaecilius had stolen a ritual from. The remaining pages had shown him how time could be manipulated using a device called the Eye of Agomotto. Coincidentally, he saw the described magical device on a decorative plinth only a few yards away from him. Stephen didn't even hesitate in removing the Eye from the stand and wearing it around his neck to attempt the time manipulations.

It was surprisingly easy considering the magic was supposed to be too advanced for anyone other than the Sorcerer Supreme. After experimenting on an apple, he focused on the Book of Cagliostro itself and successfully restored the pages that Kaecilius had torn out. His eyes roved over what the traitorous man and his equally fanatical followers had been so eager to discover; he felt a chill sweep down his spine as the words _Dormammu_ and _Dark Dimension _leapt out at him alongside what was written about eternal life.

That was when Wong and Mordo discovered what he was up to and angrily informed him that tampering with time was forbidden in case paradoxes and time loops were created.

Stephen's claim that the warnings should come before the actual spell was not well received by the other two men.

"Your curiosity could have gotten you killed," Wong pointed out, snatching the Book of Cagliostro back. "You weren't manipulating the space-time continuum, you were breaking it. We _do not_ tamper with natural law: we defend it," he insisted emphatically before securing the book back in its proper place.

After an irritated request from Stephen for an explanation of what role the sorcerers fulfilled in the wider world, Wong and Mordo walked him back to the stand that he had taken the Eye of Agamotto from.

"While heroes like Hermione and the rest of the Avengers protect the world from physical dangers, we sorcerers safeguard it against more mystical threats," Wong explained as he turned the top of the plinth to create a projection of Earth above their heads. "The Ancient One is the latest in a long line of Sorcerers Supreme going back thousands of years to the father of the mystic arts: the mighty Agomotto - the same sorcerer who created the eye you so recklessly borrowed," he added, continuing to eye Stephen with disapproval. "Agamotto built three Sanctums in places of power where great cities now stand." Wong held out his left hand towards one of three doors which each featured a different symbol inside a circle. "That door leads to the Hong Kong Sanctum, that door to the New York Sanctum and that one to the London Sanctum," Wong explained, gesturing to each door in turn. "Together, the Sanctums generate a protective shield around our world." Glowing symbols matching the lines on the doors appeared on the projected image of Earth to illustrate Wong's words.

"The Sanctums protect the world, and we sorcerers protect the Sanctums," Mordo added solemnly.

"From _what_?" Stephen asked disconcertedly.

A portal suddenly glowed in the air next to Stephen and a figure leapt out, magic already shining around her wrists. The three men had flinched at the abrupt arrival, braced for trouble, but when they saw it was Hermione they made no move to conjure their own spells.

She quickly took in the sight of them but kept her magic in place. "The Stone - where is it?" she asked urgently, her gaze fearful as she glanced at the plinth.

Mordo held up a calming hand. "False alarm, Hermione," he said soothingly. "Strange took it."

Stephen suddenly found himself under a penetrating and accusatory stare. He was about to emphatically deny having any knowledge of the stone Hermione was talking about when the line of her gaze dropped down to his chest. Understanding clicked into place.

"Why did you take it?" Hermione asked him, her distrust evident. Mordo's efforts to pacify the situation didn't appear to have worked.

At the time, Stephen had thought nothing of his actions with the Eye but having to explain them to others made him feel somewhat self-conscious. "I was reading about the Eye in the book of Cagliostro," he said a little weakly.

"So you just thought you'd have a little play with time?" she asked in faint disbelief.

"It was just sitting there," Stephen said defensively. "You'd think something this dangerous would have more protection."

"Everyone else at Kamar-Taj seems to know not to pick up magical objects and experiment with them," Hermione said coolly, finally relaxing her stance and letting the magic dissipate from her arms. She turned to Wong. "I told you my warding spell wasn't enough - we need something stronger to protect the Stone."

"Well, you're here, aren't you?" Wong pointed out as though he couldn't see the problem.

"Too late," Hermione retorted. "If we keep the security measures the same and someone makes a real move for the Stone, I'm going to be filling out Ross's damned paperwork while they're getting away."

"You'll have to take it up with the Ancient One, not me," Wong told her with a shrug. The look in Hermione's eyes clearly suggested that she would.

"So the sorcerers protect the Sanctums to stop people from getting the Eye of Agomotto?" Stephen asked, feeling the weight of the mystical device a little more heavily from where it still lay against his chest.

"No," Mordo said shaking his head. "According to Hermione, the Stone within the Eye is being sought by a dangerous individual from another world."

Stephen blinked in surprise and looked over at Hermione as a past comment returned to the forefront of his mind. "You weren't kidding when you told me you were abducted into deep space, were you?"

The haunted look she gave him almost sent a shiver down his spine. "No, I wasn't."

"Thanos's threat may be of this dimension," Mordo said, drawing Stephen's attention back to him, "but the Masters of the Mystic Arts seek to protect the Sanctums from other-dimensional beings."

The phrase triggered Stephen's memory once again. "Like Dormammu."

All three of them looked at him in surprise. "Where did you learn that name?" Mordo asked gravely.

Stephen glanced between them, taking in their matching taut expressions. "I just read it in the Book of Cagliostro," he replied. "Why?"

Mordo and Wong looked at each other and, after a small nod from Mordo, Wong turned the surface of the plinth again. In the wake of Hermione's arrival, Stephen had almost forgotten about the projection of Earth that floated above their heads and the glowing symbols of the Sanctums that encased it.

"Dormammu dwells in the Dark Dimension," Wong stated and the symbols faded away. "Beyond time. He is the cosmic conqueror; the destroyer of worlds." A darkness appeared on the image of Earth and bled across the planet, causing it to disappear and give way to a strange and bleak dimension. "A being of infinite power and endless hunger on a quest to invade every universe and bring all worlds into his Dark Dimension. And he hungers for Earth most of all," Wong concluded.

"The pages that Kaecilius stole," Stephen muttered in realisation.

Wong nodded. "A ritual to contact Dormammu and draw power from the Dark Dimension."

The gravity of the situation slapped him in the face and he laughed. "Uh..._OK_," he said. "OK. I - I'm out. I _came_ here to heal my hands - not to fight in some _mystical war._"

Those words at that time would prove to be rather ironic because, from that moment on, Stephen did find himself embroiled in the conflict he'd wanted to avoid.

* * *

Bruce held up a hand and then pointed at Stephen. "Wait - you wear an Infinity Stone like a necklace?" The Eye of Agomotto that Strange had described was clearly sat around his neck.

Stephen made a parting motion with his hands and the glowing green stone within was revealed. Not overly fond of the powerful Stones, Bruce resisted the urge to take a step back.

"And Hermione's OK with you just walking around with it?" Bruce asked in disbelief.

"It was a compromise," Wong replied. "She wanted to secret it away somewhere after the defeat of Dormammu but the Masters could not permit it - we made a vow to protect it with our lives."

"She knows it's with us and we would die before handing it over," Stephen added. "And she checks in with us regularly when she's not in New York."

"Right," Bruce said slowly. "And I'm sure you two are very capable in your magic but wouldn't it be in safer hands with the Ancient One?"

"She's dead," Stephen said shortly but with a touch of heaviness. "Kaecilius killed her."

"Oh," Bruce said awkwardly. "Sorry."

"And before you ask, we haven't seen Mordo since I created a time loop to infuriate Dormammu so much that he left with a promise never to return," Stephen added. "Mordo disapproved of us violating the natural laws to win and decided to forge his own path."

"Oh," Bruce said again. "Well, you've obviously done a good job protecting the Stone so far but Thanos is a whole different ball game, believe me. Thor and I didn't trouble him in the slightest!"

"Thor?" Stephen repeated. "You've seen him?"

Realisation dawned in Bruce's mind. "_You're_ the wizard who helped him find Odin. I thought he meant someone like Harry - especially when he said Hermione was there..."

* * *

Thor peered up at the building as he crossed Bleecker Street.

Just minutes ago, he and his brother had been standing on the pavement in New York, watching as machines demolished the building in which their father had last been seen. And then - _poof_ \- Loki had been pulled through some sort of portal and all that had stood in his place was a card bearing the address of this building. He would've been here sooner had he not gotten lost twice, been stopped for selfies four times and engaged with a stare-off with a stray cat he was sure he had met before. (Thor won the battle, of course).

He knocked solemnly on the door twice but as he swung his fist forwards to do so again, he stumbled through the solid object and found himself in a gloomy, wood-panelled hallway.

He looked around, a little disconcerted by the abrupt change.

"Thor Odinson," a grave voice called behind him. Turning, Thor saw a dark silhouette of a caped man before a large circular window. The cape suddenly flared and fluttered and the man serenely floated through the air towards him. Thor held his umbrella-disguised-Mjolnir out defensively, uncertain of exactly who or what he was facing. The stranger's eyes appraised the concealed weapon. "God of Thunder."

"Stephen, stop being so _mysterious_," another voice scoffed and Thor was pleasantly surprised to see Hermione walking along the hallway towards him. "Thor's an ally, you don't need to try and intimidate him."

The man, Stephen, did not soften his gaze nor his tone. "He's brought a known enemy of Earth back to our world. That's not something an ally does."

"I can explain," Thor announced.

"Good," Stephen said shortly. "Take a seat."

Just like with the front door, Thor suddenly found himself in a different part of the building: sat in an old leather armchair opposite Hermione and Stephen.

"Show off," she muttered to the strange man.

"You're a wizard," Thor grunted at the man and then glanced at Hermione. "Why doesn't he use a wand?"

"His magic is different to mine," she explained.

"And the preferred term is 'Master of the Mystic Arts'," Stephen corrected. "My name is Doctor Stephen Strange - "

"Strange?" Thor repeated. "Did you pick that name yourself to make you seem more..." He waggled his fingers in the air, "spooky?"

Hermione looked like she was fighting a smile.

"No," Strange said flatly.

"Thor, why is Loki here?" Hermione asked. "How is he here - he was supposed to be dead!"

"Ah, well, you know my brother," Thor said with a shrug. "He loves a good trick. Playing dead seems to be a particular favourite of his. His latest work was more of a long-term con. He cast a spell on my father and settled him into a care home a few blocks from here. He's been impersonating Odin and playing at being king of Asgard for years."

"Years?" Hermione repeated in surprise. "And you didn't notice?"

"I have spent much time away from Asgard for various reasons and, in my absence, my brother became lax in his ruse," Thor explained. "The giant statue he'd had made of himself was a bit of a giveaway. We came here to find my father but the care home has recently been demolished."

Hermione looked troubled but Strange was more calculating. "So, if I were to tell you where Odin was, all parties concerned would promptly return to Asgard?" Strange offered.

"Promptly," Thor nodded in agreement.

"Great! Then I'll help you," Strange declared.

Hermione looked at the wizard in surprise. "You knew Odin was on Earth?"

Strange shrugged. "He was adamant that he not be disturbed. Your father said he had chosen to remain in exile," he informed Thor.

He brushed aside this news. "Well, Loki's scheme is up - my father is no longer in exile. So, if you could tell me where he is, I can take him home."

"Gladly," Strange said almost amiably. "He's in Norway."

The scene shifted again and the walls they were standing by were lined with bookshelves. Strange started hunting through an old tome, muttering about incantations and modifications.

"I've been trying to reach you for months," Hermione told him.

Thor shook his head at the disorientation. "As I said, I've been away from Asgard for many moons."

Strange altered their location twice more in less than ten seconds and Thor stumbled, dislodging a shelf of books."

"We need to talk about Thanos and the Infinity Stones," Hermione continued, seemingly unphased by the quick adjustments.

"I need just one strand of your hair," Strange called from across the room.

"Let me explain something," Thor said agitatedly, ignoring Hermione and advancing on the wizard, "My hair is not to be meddled with." A sharp pain at the back of his head revealed that Strange had used his sorcery to move without Thor noticing. "Ow."

Holding the golden hair, Strange circled his hands quickly around each other and a crackling ball of energy appeared.

They shifted again, Thor tumbling down the main staircase as Strange manipulated the fiery energy into different shapes.

"We could have just walked," Thor grumbled as he dusted himself off.

The glowing magic finally formed into a large ring, revealing itself to be a portal to a green landscape. Strange motioned to it. "He's waiting for you."

Thor stared pensively through the gateway and Hermione lay a comforting hand on his arm. "All right. When I have restored my father to the throne of Asgard and seen that my brother is properly punished, I shall return to discuss Thanos with you," he told her. She looked like she'd rather talk immediately but she nodded in agreement anyway. He looked at Strange. "I suppose I'll need my brother back."

"Oh, yeah. Right," Strange said. He made a circling gesture and another portal appeared in the air above them. They heard a distant yell, then Loki fell through the fiery circle to crash flat on the floor.

Loki stayed sprawled on the ground but he lifted his head with a sound of anger. "I have been _falling_ for _thirty minutes_!" he yelled, looking very similar to a toddler that was about to bang his fists on the floor in a tantrum.

"You can handle him from here," Strange said to Thor.

"Oh, no, please," Hermione interrupted, "allow me."

At the sound of her voice, his brother paused in the act of getting to his feet, probably recognizing it even with his back to her. His head swivelled round, his previous anger overtaken by his intrigue at the sight of Hermione. Loki laughed. "Well, well, look who just keeps turning up like a bad penny," he said, smirking as he got to his feet.

"I could say the same for you," she retorted and he grinned.

"My dear - " Without warning, Hermione used her magic to slam him into the wall and she held him there, the force of the spell making the wood panels start to splinter around him, but she continued to push, forcing Loki to draw ragged breaths.

"Don't you dare," she hissed lowly, her expression and tone more menacing than Thor had ever heard it.

Strange stepped forwards, looking alarmed. "Er, Rogers," he began, but Thor put a hand across the man's chest to stop him.

"Don't bother," Thor told him. "He deserves it."

"Because of you and that infernal tongue of yours, I was ripped from this world and taken to a place of nightmares," Hermione accused.

"And look how powerful it made you," Loki choked out.

Hermione let out a small scream of anguish. She pulled him away from the wall only to slam him back again. "Don't pretend like that was your intention," she spat. "And then, when you were pretending to be Odin, you tried to stop them looking for me, didn't you? _Didn't you?_" she screamed.

"Y-yes," he hissed.

"I should cut that weaselly tongue right out of your mouth," she snarled and a wickedly sharp blade materialised before his face. "You think I won't do it?" she asked him dangerously. "You did make me a daughter of Thanos, remember?" Thor could see that Loki was very worried now. Even Thor was a bit unnerved by this version of Hermione.

She balled her hands up into fists. The knife fell to the floor with a clatter and then she propelled Loki through the waiting portal. She turned emotional eyes on Thor. "Don't _ever_ let me see him again."

"I won't," he promised. He took a couple of cautious steps forward, embracing her trembling figure lightly and planting a small kiss on the top of her head. "I'll be back when I can."

Strange had watched the whole incident with wide eyes but he gestured to the portal again and Thor stepped through it.

* * *

"But Thor never returned," Strange said.

"Yeah, well, we had some whole other issues going on," Bruce explained hurriedly. "Look, I don't know what's happened to Thor now - Heimdall managed to get me off the ship so that I could warn everyone. We've gotta let Hermione know that he's coming. Can you, like, call her or something?"

"Oh, we can do more than that," Wong said confidently.

"Great," Bruce sighed. "Man, it's been so long since I've seen her and the others. I take it that a lot's happened since I've been away."

Strange gave an understated nod. "You could say that."

* * *

A/N See? I told you it was a bit different. I hope I didn't confuse you all with the jumping around. Obviously, there's a lot of Hermione's personal story that we haven't seen before we get to the start of Infinity War so the next few chapters are going to fill you all in. I know some of you are going to be disappointed that I didn't go into more detail about Hermione joining in the events of Doctor Strange or Thor 3 but I wrote how I honestly saw her fitting in. She was slightly more involved in the events of Doctor Strange but not too much because the restrictions of the Accords prevented her from moving from country to country so quickly and therefore the battle in Hong Kong was over before she could get permission to go. I didn't include that whole scene in the chapter because it wasn't necessary to know and it ruined the flow.

Anyway, unusual though this chapter was, I quite enjoyed telling the story from PoVs that I don't get to use very often. The Loki cameo was satisfying too.

Let me know what you thought. I'm going to try and be reasonably quick with the updates on this fic for once - fingers crossed.

Happy Holidays,

Lil Drop of Magic

PS - I obviously don't own the dialogue borrowed from Infinity War, Thor 3 and Doctor Strange


	2. Chapter 2

A/N: Hi guys! Happy New Year

So, remember: the first chapter was kind of like a teaser of what's to come. We're now going straight back to what happened right after Civil War. Hope you enjoy it!

* * *

Steve had lost count of the number of times he had envisioned the conversation he would have with Hermione when he saw her again for the first time since the raft prison. The words he had imagined himself saying had evolved over time and varied depending on his mood, but the overriding message he wanted to get across to her was that he loved her and was sorry that he'd put her in the position where she'd had to turn away from him.

That didn't mean that he wasn't frustrated with her - sometimes even a little angry - that she had made such a huge decision without involving him. And then, a few moments later when he recalled what she'd been through at the time, he felt incredibly guilty for thinking so negatively towards her.

It would've been quite easy to take out some of his frustration and despair on Natasha instead after she'd agreed to go along with Hermione's crazy scheme to send her family off without her. However, Steve would never forget everything that Natasha had done for them both: she'd stayed by Hermione's side during a hellish labour when Steve hadn't been there; she'd gone to the raft prison (right under Ross's beady-eyed gaze after she'd stunned T'Challa to allow Steve and Bucky to escape) and then voluntarily become a wanted criminal by joining Steve on the jet and turning her back on the Accords. Yes, he would be eternally grateful to Natasha. He didn't like to think about how hard he would've found things recently without her. She knew him almost as well as anybody and she was a comforting presence in these trying times.

T'Challa had been as accommodating a host as it was possible for a new king to be. Bucky, Natasha Steve and his daughter's arrivals into Wakanda had been very much kept out of the public eye of the native Wakandans for privacy's sake, but Steve still saw enough of the reclusive country (supposedly known to be one of the poorest in the world) to see that the people here were used to dealing in secrecy.

The first couple of days were spent within a medical facility deep in the rainforest. Steve was hardly an expert when it came to advances in science and technology, but he was quite certain that Tony would be fascinated to see what was being used in Wakanda (even though it hurt to think of the battered and bruised friend he'd left behind in Siberia). Bucky had agreed to be cryogenically frozen at the facility with little persuasion and only a small amount of apprehension. It was obvious that Bucky had a strong sense of guilt for the suffering others had endured, and Steve's reassurances that it wasn't his fault - that he'd been a pawn in HYDRA and Zemo's games - had little impact in improving Bucky's mood. It was clear that he was tired of not being fully in control of his own mind, and wanted to be out of harm's way until a solution could be found to free him of his demons.

Before he'd stepped into the pod, Bucky clasped Steve's hand tightly in his. "I really hope you can bring your family back together again, Steve." He glanced in the general direction of the room Steve's daughter was resting in whilst under observation. "She's really going to be OK?" he'd asked hopefully.

"Seems like it," Steve replied with a small, relieved smile. Bucky had been content to look on the newborn behind two sets of security screens but Steve hoped that his best friend would be able to meet his daughter face to face one day.

Amid all the pain and despair, Steve's daughter was one of the few things to bring him joy. Almost all of his time was spent with her: watching her, holding her, loving her. She was so perfect, so precious. It wasn't lost on him that he had been prepared to sacrifice his chance to ever meet his child in order to stop Zemo, and this created a powerful desire within him to cherish every moment with her - every breath and heartbeat that Hermione was missing to protect them both.

His eyes might have focused solely on his daughter but his thoughts never strayed far from his wife. He was desperate to take Hermione into his arms and take away all the pain and heartache he was sure she was suffering. With every touch of her skin against his, Steve had been only too aware how much Hermione loved him, how she had grown excited about bringing a child into the world with him and how devoted she was to her friends. Being cut off from so many of those she loved would be utterly devastating to Hermione - whether she'd chosen to enforce some of the separations or not. When Natasha had told him of Hermione's decision, only the probability that it would risk his daughter's life and liberty had prevented him from forcing the Wakandan pilots to turn the jet back to the raft prison.

"We can't just leave her there," Steve argued, his despair causing him physical pain. "Nat, please - she needs help." All of those involved in their line of work had their own demons to fight but Hermione's battle for mental health had been a struggle since her ordeal at Thanos's hands. He could only imagine the fresh damage the last few hours' trauma had inflicted upon her. Surely her decision to cut herself off from him was proof that she wasn't in the right mental state. And, what was worse, it was _his_ actions that had led to her suffering.

Seeing his anguish, Natasha gripped his arms tightly and forced him to meet her gaze. "You can't go back, Steve," she insisted calmly. "If you get caught, you're wasting everything she's just sacrificed. I'm just as worried about her as you are. I promise we'll send help but we've got to be smart about it."

Unfortunately, with the rest of their team locked up in the prison with her, there were very few options left to them. The obvious choice - the only choice, really - was Harry. However, it was too risky for him to go to the highly-classified prison. Ross would be watching Hermione's every move and throwing Harry into the mix had the potential to only make things worse for her if he was discovered there. And so, with the permission of the Wakandan pilots, Steve crafted a message that they could send to Harry's emergency phone number, explaining how things had gone disastrously wrong and how Hermione would need him - but that he would have to wait until he found the right time to go to her. Seeing the words in black and white in front of him, Steve felt like the worst husband in the world and his spirits weren't lifted much by the short reply from Harry that wound its way back to Steve a few days later that simply said, 'I'm with her'.

Steve didn't know whether it was better or worse that Harry's reply had been so brief. Perhaps Harry was trying to save Steve pain by not going into detail about how Hermione was suffering, but it didn't prevent him from imagining it. It was an unbearable situation to be in but he had to take heart in knowing that she now had someone to lean on...

"They tell me your daughter is thriving," T'Challa said warmly when he managed to take some time out of his new kingly duties to visit. "I am very pleased to hear it."

"Thank you - for everything," Steve said earnestly. "I can't tell you how grateful I am that you helped get her away from Ross and have given her a safe space for a few days - and with Bucky too. I can't thank you enough."

T'Challa nodded at him and then looked down at the baby girl as she wriggled slightly in her sleep. The king positioned his little finger by her hand and she reflexively grabbed onto it, making both men smile. "I am honoured to help in whatever way I can."

They both watched her in silence for a few moments until Steve enquired how the king was stepping into his role.

"My father has left behind a legacy that is a lot to live up to," T'Challa said softly, continuing to gaze at the tiny infant. "But I will do everything I can to make him proud - to give the people of Wakanda another king that is worthy of them." He let out a short breath of laughter and glanced up at Steve. "Her grip is so strong!"

Steve nodded, already aware.

"She will grow up to be like her father," T'Challa predicted.

"I'd rather she didn't: that she could have a safe and normal life," Steve revealed, "But now that she's here, I can only prepare her for what the future might hold."

"I hope she has a blessed life," T'Challa said, finally able to regain the use of his little finger when the baby girl let go.

"Thank you," Steve said again.

"There is a house my family have used when distance from Golden City is desired," T'Challa told him. "It is yours to use for as long as you need it."

Steve's eyes widened. "Your highness - " he began but T'Challa waved the title away. "T'Challa, I'm greatly honoured by your offer but I can't accept - I've already been too much of an imposition on you."

T'Challa looked untroubled. "Where will you go?" he asked knowingly. "Your daughter is four days old and both yourself and Ms Romanoff have been declared criminals by every United Nations government. I do not much fancy your chances beyond my borders at this moment."

Steve's shoulders slumped slightly. T'Challa spoke the truth but accepting help from others - and such a substantial gift at that - didn't come easy to him.

T'Challa placed a hand on his shoulder. "You have given so much to others: let someone else take care of you for a while."

"I don't know what else to say to thank you," Steve said honestly.

"There are benefits to being friends with a king, no?" T'Challa said with a smile.

Natasha walked into the room, inclining her head respectfully to the newly coronated king. "Your highness," she greeted with just the smallest teasing hint in her voice. Any ill-feeling between them after she'd stunned him seemed to have been resolved. "Are you here to do your kingly duty of kissing babies?" She paused. "Or is that the pope?" she mused out loud before shrugging her shoulders unconcernedly.

T'Challa told her of his offer to move them into a home for the foreseeable future and Natasha added her thanks to Steve's. "And now if you'll forgive me, I must leave - I have business in South Korea."

Steve looked at him in surprise and T'Challa hesitated a moment. "Am I right in thinking that you have both encountered Ulysses Klaue recently...?"

The next time Steve saw the king of Wakanda, T'Challa seemed to have aged a few years even though only a handful of days had passed. Something big had happened, Steve was sure about that: he'd sensed it from the people who lived and worked around the river home even before T'Challa showed up looking a little haunted. The Wakandans had been wary, gathering to gossip in small groups but unwilling to tell Steve or Natasha what they whispered about. He'd spotted Malaika, the Wakandan woman who helped him take care of his daughter, wiping away tears a couple of times and when he asked her what was wrong she denied that there was anything. "It is not true," she told him defiantly.

When T'Challa arrived a day or two later, Malaika let out a moan of joy at the sight of him and barely remembered to show her respect for her king before embracing him tightly and speaking quickly in her native tongue. T'Challa looked at the woman fondly and gave the watching Steve and Natasha a slightly sheepish grin.

"Malaika thought I was dead," T'Challa explained, his hand still clasped tightly in both of Malaika's as they entered the exquisite lodge that Steve wasn't at all used to calling home yet.

"_Everyone_ said you were dead!" Malaika retorted hotly.

"That's what you wouldn't tell us?" Steve asked in faint disbelief - no wonder the people had been so unsettled.

"I told you it wasn't true," Malaika reminded him before looking at T'Challa with fierce pride. "Not my sweet boy."

"Malaika was part of our household when my sister and I were growing up," T'Challa explained. "She was like our third parent. I hope you'll forgive me for presuming you would need some help learning how to take care of your daughter," he told Steve, who just laughed because it was definitely accurate, "and I could think of no one better to give you advice."

"Well, _you_ have given me no children of your own to look after," Malaika teased the king. "I'm not getting any younger, you know. Did I hear that Nakia is back in Wakanda? You were always so fond of her, weren't you? Such a lovely girl," she confided in Steve and Natasha.

"_Stop_, my heart," T'Challa used the term of endearment affectionately. "We cannot force these things." But there was a hint of amusement in his face and this grew into a smile after he momentarily paused before saying, "Yes, Nakia is here."

Malaika let out a gasp of delight and brought his hand up to her mouth to kiss it. There was suddenly the newly familiar sound of Steve's daughter crying.

"Ah, she is hungry again," Malaika guessed. "Never have I known such a hungry baby." Steve had moved instinctively to tend to her but Malaika held out her hand to stop him. "I'll go to her - as much as I am sure my king loves me, I know he is not here to see me."

Malaika kissed T'Challa's hand again and he embraced her. The baby girl's cries grew in intensity. "I am coming, Nomlanga," she called.

T'Challa smiled after her before turning back to Steve and Natasha as they moved to take seats out on the veranda. "Nomlanga," he repeated. "You know what that name means?"

"Greedy pig?" Natasha guessed semi-seriously - Steve's daughter did seem to need an excessive amount of food.

"The sun," T'Challa corrected her. "It's a name you might give your son or daughter to signify how they will grow each day. It is a strong name that will let your child grow from the start and prepare for a future that is bright. The name signifies strength - both of the mind and the heart, as well as positivity, life, vibrancy and power."

Steve stared at him for a few moments, a little stunned at the seriousness of T'Challa's words. It was only a nickname, surely?

"Names are very important in our culture," T'Challa said, as though reading Steve's thoughts, "and Malaika is particularly gifted at choosing an appropriate moniker for her charges: the names she chose for myself and my sister proved to be rather prophetic."

An unexpected warmth filled Steve's chest. He had no way of knowing whether anything T'Challa had said was true but it almost didn't matter. "Well, if my daughter grows to have any of the strength Malaika sees in her, I will be a happy father," Steve said softly. "I haven't given her a name yet. Hermione and I wanted to wait until the baby was born and, well, then we didn't really have time." Steve shook his head. "I don't want to choose a name for her without Hermione - though who knows how long that will be," he murmured quietly, his gut clenching painfully.

"Hopefully not as long as you think," T'Challa said and Steve's eyes focused on him intently.

"What do you mean?" he asked quickly, his heart suddenly thudding inside his chest.

Before revealing the reason behind his words, T'Challa informed them about the recent unrest within Wakanda.

"Why didn't you ask us for help?" Natasha wondered.

"You were invited here to come to a place of refuge," T'Challa pointed out calmly, "Not to fight my battles for me."

Steve wasn't inclined to argue with a king and certainly not when he'd hinted at a meeting with Hermione, but he still would've preferred to have the chance to come to T'Challa's aid after everything the king had done to help his family.

"The loss my country and my people have suffered as they fought each other should never have happened. My uncle's son should never have been abandoned just so Wakanda's secrecy could be upheld. Shutting yourself off from the rest of the world does not keep you safe," T'Challa said softly as he appeared to take a moment of inner reflection before refocusing his eyes on Steve and Natasha. "I am going to bring Wakanda out of the shadows and start building bridges that will allow us to share our knowledge and resources for the first time. Next week, I will travel to Vienna to announce to the United Nations the new path Wakanda will tread. I will also invite a delegation from the UN to visit the country before the end of the month, and I will insist that your wife be amongst the party."

Steve couldn't speak. Natasha gripped his arm comfortingly and sent him an encouraging smile.

"Obviously, we'll continue to keep your presence here a secret and ensure that all meetings between you are kept away from the other delegates," T'Challa continued as Steve struggled to find the words to express his thanks. "I know that this is unlikely to resolve your predicament but…" he tailed off and shrugged a little.

"No," Steve blurted, "I- I cannot thank you enough. The chance to see and talk to Hermione again - to show her how well our daughter is doing - that's _everything_ to me." He stood, T'Challa doing likewise, and grasped the king's hand tightly.

T'Challa looked pleased. "Families should be together," he said. "It pains me that the Accords are the reason that yours is separated - that isn't what they were intended for." He sighed. "How often our good intentions fall short."

"As long as there is a tomorrow, we have the chance to make amends," Natasha said sagely.

But for Steve, that 'tomorrow' seemed to take an age to arrive. Before he left for Vienna, T'Challa showed them how they would be able to watch the broadcast of the meeting with the UN. Steve knew that it was unlikely that Hermione would be there but he couldn't prevent his eyes from scanning the heads of the attendees whenever shots of the crowd were shown. Ultimately, he was left disappointed that he was unable to see any sign of his wife, but he appreciated the meaningful speech T'Challa made. It was clear that he was beginning to create a legacy that King T'Chaka would be proud of.

* * *

"I'm sorry - can you repeat that, sir?" Rhodey asked, staring a little wide-eyed at the image of Secretary Ross that he was currently video-conferencing. "Did you say - "

"Yes, _Wakanda_," Ross interrupted impatiently. "King T'Challa is finally permitting envoys into the country. You and Rogers are to be part of the team that flies out next week."

Rhodey started slightly at the name but then he realised that Ross was talking about _Hermione_ and not Cap. Even though they'd been married for about a year, he still wasn't used to thinking of her as being a 'Rogers' yet. "Yes, sir."

"King T'Challa asked for her specifically but, whilst her husband is still at large, I'm not prepared to let her go off on her own anywhere remote where I can't keep an eye on her - that's why you're going too," Ross informed him brusquely.

Rhodey frowned. "Has T'Challa not just invited Hermione so that she can be reunited with her daughter?" he suggested. "The baby was taken by a Wakandan ship, wasn't it? I doubt there's any ulterior motive."

"I'm not willing to take the risk," Ross replied. "We can't afford to have Steve Rogers evade captivity after so blatantly flaunting the Accords. And as long as Barnes is still out there, he's a threat. Hermione Rogers will lead us to them eventually, I'm sure of it - we just have to wait for her to slip up. I know I can rely on you to report back or act accordingly to anything suspicious that you see, Colonel."

"Of course, sir," he answered, instinctively standing a little straighter at the use of his rank.

Ross nodded curtly. "I'll be in touch."

The call was ended but Rhodey continued to stare at the blank screen for a few minutes. Eventually, he sighed and then tapped the screen a few times until it started dialling Hermione. She didn't answer the first two times he rang but he persevered. He knew that she'd answer eventually and he was proved correct when she showed up on the screen on the third attempt.

"Hey, you at the Tower?" he asked, not bothering with a formal greeting and therefore cutting her off before she could try and push him away. He recognised the decor of her surroundings and jumped in, "Yeah, I can see you are. I'll be over in ninety and then we'll go get some sushi, alright?" Her eyes widened and her expression became pained. Sensing that she wanted to object, he pushed, "Hermione?" and she deflated.

"OK," she agreed.

"And don't think about putting in a request to leave the country," he warned. "You know I'll follow you and I don't think that the sushi will travel that well."

Her lips made the slightest of twitches and then she nodded. "I'll be here."

He and Hermione had never been particularly close. In a large ensemble like the Avengers, you always had some members that you clicked with more than others. Apart from their time searching for The Mandarin and taking on Aldrich Killian three and a half years previously, he and Hermione hadn't really spent any time together, just the two of them.

And then Leipzig had happened.

He knew he wouldn't be able to even drive his car down into the city if it hadn't been for her. He probably would've died - he certainly would've suffered life-changing injuries - but thanks to Hermione's actions he came away from his fall from the sky without a scratch (well, no more than he'd already gotten from taking on Cap's team).

Hermione had saved him.

In return, she had nearly lost everything.

Unbidden, an echo of her screams from the airport came back to him and he gripped the steering wheel tightly.

He knew that she didn't blame him for what had happened, and he'd been in enough battles over the years - both as War Machine and in the Air Force - to know that shit happened that you couldn't control or prevent. But he still owed Hermione a debt and he was determined to look out for her - especially given what had happened since.

It was bad enough that she had parted from both her husband and newborn baby within a few hours of each other but something else had happened too - he just couldn't quite put his finger on it. He knew that Tony was involved and, in all honesty, it had to be bad with the way Tony was giving her the cold shoulder. Given what Rhodey had seen of their friendship in the past, he wouldn't have thought it possible for Tony to stay away from her in her hour of need, but his attempts to patch things up between them had fallen upon deaf ears.

Hermione had begged him not to talk to Tony about her - the anguish seemingly forcing her body to shrink in on itself - but Rhodey had only been able to ignore her wishes for a couple of days before hunting down his oldest friend to find out what the hell was going on.

Tony had retreated to the Avengers Facility and had looked pleased to see Rhodey until he revealed the reason for his visit. As soon as Rhodey mentioned Hermione's name, Tony's emotions shut down.

"I don't want to talk about it," Tony muttered, turning away.

Rhodey grabbed his arm, holding him in place. "I don't get it - what's happened between you two? The last I knew you were getting a load of doctors to help her and now you can't even hear each other's names."

"I don't want - " Tony started to repeat.

"She needs you, Tony," Rhodey interrupted impatiently. "She just gave up her family and most of her friends are either missing or locked up. I'm doing my best to help but she's been wrecked by all of this, man."

Rhodey could see that his words were making Tony uncomfortable but his friend remained motionless. Rhodey shook his head. "This isn't you, Tony."

Tony shook his hold off irritably. "Friendships end, Rhodey. Sometimes they dwindle over the years and sometimes they just break off in a moment... and there's no turning back what's been said and done."

"I don't believe that."

"Well, that's what's happened. Granger and I -" he paused. "Hermione and I have hurt each other too much and, what's worse, none of it was intentional. We need to keep away from each other..."

And nothing that Rhodey had said afterwards had convinced Tony to change his mind. He still didn't know exactly what had happened between them: the only thing that Tony had let slip at one point was that Hermione had kept something from him. This seemed like a bit of an overreaction to Rhodey, but he also knew that it had to have been something that cut Tony very deeply to make him behave this way.

Rhodey was also certain that whatever had caused this rift was something way more than just a few words at Hermione's hospital bedside, and he highly suspected that it had something to do with Steve and Barnes. Ever since that dreadful day, Hermione had been trying to convince Secretary Ross that Barnes had been framed: that her husband had left Leipzig to take on the threat posed by Helmut Zemo. The Sokovian was now in the custody of the Joint Counter Terrorist team but Hermione's arguments had produced no difference. Secretary Ross didn't care that the actions of Cap, Sam and the others could be justified - they had broken the terms of the Accords and that was that.

As someone who'd spent so much of his life in the military, Rhodey was used to there being a chain of command. The way that the Avengers had more or less flouted laws to accomplish their goals in the past had never sat comfortably with him, and he had actually welcomed the idea that they were going to be accountable for their actions through the Sokovia Accords. During their, well, _civil war_, Rhodey had been disdainful of Steve and his seemingly incessant need to be 'right' all the time. In hindsight, Rhodey should've known that Steve wouldn't be willing to put his family into jeopardy just for the sake of righteousness - that there _had_ been a worthy reason behind his actions - but what was done, was done. Now they all had to live with the consequences of the Avengers being torn apart.

Though they _had_ broken the terms of the Accords, Rhodey couldn't see how the likes of Sam and Clint deserved to be somewhere like the Raft. Nor could he stand the sight of Captain America being labelled a criminal on the news channels. He wasn't in the habit of questioning orders but the last couple of weeks had had a profound effect on him, and he felt quite certain that things had been better off the way they were before. This would be fine if the consequences could be reversed, but there was no quick-fix to repairing the ruins they'd left behind.

When he got to the Tower, it took a fair amount of persuading to get Hermione to step away from her work and leave the tower with him.

"But I need to finish prepping my notes for my meeting," she argued. "It's to discuss what will happen to the members of the Avengers that are being held on the Raft."

"They're letting you sit in on that?" Rhodey asked - momentarily distracted from his aim of getting her to leave the Tower.

Her shoulders tensed a little. "Secretary Ross didn't want me allowed," she admitted, "but I still have allies in the UN. Some of them have contacted me and expressed sympathy and regrets over…" She flinched and took a deep breath. "Over what happened. I intend to exploit that sympathy as much as I can to help my friends."

She looked at him with a slight air of defiance - as though challenging him to criticise her plan. Did she think he wanted his friends locked away? That the military lifestyle was so ingrained within him that he couldn't look beyond the fact that Sam and the others had broken the law and therefore deserved their fates?

"You think I should disapprove?" he asked her.

She deflated a little. "I don't know," she murmured.

"Not everyone is against you," he told her, placing a reassuring hand on her shoulder. "You don't need to be on battle-alert with me."

Her shoulders dropped and she rubbed at her eyes wearily. "I'm sorry, Rhodey."

"It's fine," he told her truthfully before giving her back a small pat. "Let's go get some dinner, yeah?"

She nodded.

The sushi restaurant was busy enough that they wouldn't be noticed but not so crowded that they couldn't have a private conversation for fear of being overheard.

"So, do you think they'll listen?" Rhodey asked when Hermione had ordered them a selection of dishes.

"The council?" she asked and he nodded. "I think some will but there are some hardliners who want the public to see them following through on the pledges set out in the Accords. I know that there are those that want to show leniency given the threat that was implied at the time, but I think that they're outnumbered by those who think Steve's actions were just arrogance and an unwillingness to trust the UN."

Rhodey frowned. It didn't sound too hopeful.

"I've got to try, Rhodey," she said softly, perhaps sensing his pessimism.

"Yeah, I know," he replied. As long as there was a chance, she'd carry on the fight - that was a given. And he was also aware that this cause provided another opportunity for Hermione to keep herself busy. He didn't blame her: the events of two weeks ago had been very traumatic for her and it was understandable that she would distance herself with work rather than process the emotions she'd been repressing. But Rhodey didn't know what to do to help her. Would a good friend just stay by her side and give her time to work things out on her own? Or should he try and help her confront the feelings she was hiding from? This wasn't the sort of friendship he was used to and it bothered him that he might be letting her down.

"Do you want any sort of a statement from me?" he offered in response to his feelings of inadequacy.

"Thank you," she said gratefully, "but I'd rather keep you out of it."

"You would?"

"Secretary Ross thinks you're his man - coming out in support of those who broke the terms of the Accords might rob him of that belief," she said calmly.

Rhodey chuckled lowly. "Good point. Anyone ever tell you that you're pretty smart?"

She let out a short, sarcastic laugh. "One or two."

Their opening dishes arrived and Rhodey eagerly tucked in.

"Mmm," he murmured. "Thank God I have you to order for me - I can never remember what half of these dishes are called."

He noticed that she was picking at her food rather than eating it. It wasn't the first time this had happened and he felt another stab in his gut that maybe he wasn't doing right by her.

You wouldn't expect anyone to look well after what she'd been through but, then again, she wasn't just 'anybody' when she had all her magical abilities and body enhancements courtesy of Thanos. Consequently, her body didn't look like that of someone who was only a couple of weeks along from having a baby - but everything else about her looked sickly. Her skin was pale and splotchy and her eyes seemed almost sunken in her head. When he'd tentatively asked her last week whether she'd been sleeping, she'd reassured him that she was using a potion. But the dark circles under her eyes had only grown since then and he doubted that the potion was doing its job properly.

For a young woman who had always come across as so strong, it was galling to see her so broken now.

At least, with the upcoming trip to Wakanda, a part of her would be coming back together.

"It's good news about Wakanda, isn't it?" he said warmly but, to his surprise, Hermione froze.

She glanced up at him and then returned her gaze to her uneaten food. "I'm not going to Wakanda," she said stiffly to her plate.

Rhodey paused with his glass of water halfway to his mouth. It clunked noisily when he returned it to the table. "What?"

He saw her hands briefly clench into fists. "I'm not going to Wakanda," she said more firmly, her eyes burning with some strong, defiant conviction.

"I don't understand," Rhodey said slowly, his forehead creasing as he stared at her. "T'Challa asked for you specifically. You can see your daught-"

The electricity in the restaurant suddenly blew with a few sparks. There were a few startled yells as they were plunged into darkness.

He heard Hermione mutter, "Damnit."

"That was you?" he asked quietly, though he was pretty sure that he knew the answer.

"Yes," she replied tightly as the restaurant staff tried to calm their customers. "I think we'd better leave."

"Can't you fix it?"

"Of course, but I don't fancy the chances of it not happening again."

"Oh." He heard her fiddling with something, then he felt a new wave of power surge from her. Before he could see the electricity restored, he felt her grip his arm and then he experienced a squeezing sensation.

They were back in Avengers Tower. "Oh," he said again. "I thought we were going to walk out."

Her posture was rigid. "I shouldn't be amongst civilians if I'm experiencing outbursts. Ross would make sure I was reprimanded or locked up somewhere. I'm trying hard to convince him that I'm not a threat to others and I know he's just waiting for me to slip up."

Rhodey shook his head at all the pressure she was under. She might _look_ broken but she was hard as steel inside - yet even steel could crack if the force was too great. He needed to find a way to take some of it off her: he had to get her to open up to him. He knew that she had used Sam as something like a therapist and, though Rhodey couldn't boast much experience of lending that sort of support, he might be one of the few people she'd be willing to talk to now.

This proposed trip to Wakanda was obviously a sensitive subject but he had to step up and be there for her.

"I'm sorry about ruining dinner," she said, walking away from him in the direction of the kitchen. "I left some cash on our table before we disapparated if you were worried that we skipped out on the bill."

He hadn't even considered what had happened in regards to their food given the sudden change of scenery and his concern for Hermione. He tried not to fall into her ploy of changing the subject and followed her to the kitchen.

"I'm sure I can use what we've got in the fridge to put something together," she continued, pulling on the fridge door. Rhodey pushed the door closed. She glanced at him in surprise at his proximity.

"Maybe later," he said gently. "I think we should talk first." He saw the reluctance in her eyes but he pushed on. "Tell me what's in your head. I know I'm not Steve or Sam, but I want to help. I can only do that if you let me in. Being strong doesn't mean you have to do things on your own."

Her wary expression flickered and then disappeared as the tension melted out of her. She hid her face in her hands as she started to sob and Rhodey pulled her against his chest, rubbing her back gently.

"It's OK," he said quietly. "Things'll get better."

It took her a few minutes to settle down and he was relieved that her magic hadn't found another explosive release. Even so, he steered her over to the lounge area so that they were further away from the appliances and knives, and then brought her some water and a box of tissues.

"Going to Wakanda will just shatter my already broken heart," she confessed in a tone barely above a whisper. Rhodey's own chest panged in sympathy at the pain in her voice.

"But why?" he questioned delicately. "You can see your daughter - you can bring her home."

Hermione shook her head. "But that's just it: _I can't_. I'm not able to take care of her. I'm not fit to be her mother."

"Hermione," he began but she cut him off, her eyes glistening.

"I'm _not_, Rhodey," she told him, her voice emotional but insistent. "I can't provide the stable, safe environment that she needs." She held out her trembling hands towards him. "I can't even risk letting my skin touch hers - all my thoughts and feelings, my doubts and fears, flooding into her - how can that be good for a newborn baby?"

Rhodey rubbed the back of his neck, worried that he was out of his depth but determined to stay the course. "I know there's solutions you can put in place to protect her," he said. "And we can find someone to help with the childcare."

Hermione shook her head again. "When I put my daughter on that Wakandan jet, I knew it wasn't just a short-term solution, Rhodey. I gave her up in the knowledge that she would be with people who would care for her, love her and keep her out of harm's way until it's safe for my family to be reunited: T'Challa's invitation doesn't change that."

Something clicked into place in his brain. "You're keeping her away from Ross."

She nodded. "He can't get to her there - nobody can. She can't be used to manipulate Steve out of hiding, or as another hold over me."

Rhodes frowned. "I understand your concerns but I think you might be overreacting a little - Secretary Ross isn't _evil_ or anything. He wouldn't use a child against you like that."

"Maybe not," Hermione allowed, "but with everything I've been through I am _not_ willing to take the risk. And don't forget that if I take her out of Wakanda, Ross will be amongst _many_ interested parties that will want to have her under close supervision in case she displays any sign of being an 'enhanced individual'. I have no doubt that she'll fit under that criteria but there is no way that I want my daughter's name on any sort of list."

"OK," Rhodey said slowly. "I get it. I can see how much it's hurting you, and I am in awe of the strength that you're showing. But..." he paused. "Do you not even want to see her? To check on how she's doing?"

Hermione grimaced. "I'm not strong enough for that," she said, a couple of tears leaking from the corners of her eyes. "It was hard enough to let," she faltered and swallowed thickly, "to let her go once… I don't think I could do it again."

More tears flowed down her cheeks and he put a consoling arm around her shoulders.

"Maybe," he said tentatively after she'd taken a couple of minutes to compose herself, "maybe you think you're not strong enough because you're picturing yourself going through it alone. But I told you earlier, Hermione - strength doesn't have to be a journey you take on your own. I'm here to help you through this whether you come with me to Wakanda or not."

He hoped she'd agree to go because he wanted to see some happiness coming back to her life. Sure, there might be a large dose of heartbreak if she did choose to leave her daughter in Wakanda, but he wanted her to get the chance to see that the child was faring well, to bond with the daughter she was going above and beyond to protect.

In the end, she agreed to go. However, Rhodey wasn't sure whether it was his offer of support or Secretary Ross's irritated hint that she would be risking international relations with the newly cooperative country should she turn down the invitation after T'Challa explicitly asked for her to be included in the party, that made her change her mind. Even if it wasn't the former, he was glad that he was in a position to help her stand tall and face her problems once again. Maybe he wasn't such a shoddy friend to her after all.

* * *

T'Challa returned to the riverside lodge four days after his speech to the UN. Steve had found that the best way to combat his increasing restlessness was to go out and join the Wakandans as they maintained the estate. He soon learned that there was plenty to do keep the land and the river a thriving ecosystem and he threw himself into any physical labour he was offered when his daughter was asleep. Sometimes, he even took her out with him: showing her the beautiful country as he cradled her in his arms - though he knew her eyes weren't strong enough to perceive it yet. It was when he was on one of his hikes that T'Challa found him, sitting under a tree by the riverside with his baby girl asleep against his chest. It had been a rare moment of tranquility but as soon as Steve's eyes picked out the figure walking towards him, all of Steve's previous worries flew to the forefront of his mind. However, before he could even think about standing, T'Challa held up a hand to show that he should remain where he was.

"What a beautiful spot," the king greeted quietly, noting the sleeping child as he joined Steve underneath the tree.

"They're all beautiful spots here," Steve pointed out and T'Challa laughed gently.

"True," he admitted. "We are blessed."

They watched a dragonfly hover a few feet above the surface of the river for a few moments and then it sped off out of sight.

"I liked your speech," Steve told him. "The world as one tribe - how I wish that could be achieved."

"Thank you," T'Challa replied. "It was gratifying to lead my country in taking this first step on our new path of hope."

"Was your message well-received?" Steve asked.

T'Challa's lips twitched slightly in amusement. "As I'm sure you saw on the broadcast, most of those assembled were, understandably, unable to appreciate what my country has to offer to the world. However, the proposed visit was welcomed and the UN has accepted the invitation to send a delegation in two weeks' time."

Steve tried not to look too desperate as they came upon the matter he was anxious about. "That's good news," he said in as calm a voice as he could manage.

"The party will mostly be made up of representatives from our border countries and the World Health Organization, who I think will greatly benefit from our work on vaccines. There will also be two members of the UN's World Security Council and, at my insistence, representatives of those who have signed the Sokovia Accords. Your wife and Colonel Rhodes are expected to attend."

Steve let out the breath that had been keeping his body rigid with tension, and briefly shut his eyes as he leant his head back against the trunk of the tree. "That's such good news," he breathed and then looked at T'Challa. "Thank you," he said, for what felt like the hundredth time.

The king nodded his head but Steve couldn't help but notice a hesitancy lurking within his features, and his body became tense once more. "What is it?" he asked worriedly.

T'Challa frowned slightly. "I had no contact with your wife whilst I was in Vienna - as far as I know, she wasn't present in the city - and an acceptance of her invitation to Wakanda was conducted through the proper channels. However, another message was communicated through the contact you used to send her help two weeks ago."

"You had a message from Harry?" Steve asked in surprise as something began to claw away at his stomach: whatever T'Challa had to say couldn't be good.

The king looked at him sympathetically for a few seconds before saying, "When she comes to Wakanda, Hermione doesn't wish to see you."

Steve's gut clenched painfully and his heart ached in despair at the conveyed message. "I see," he murmured quietly.

"I'm sorry, my friend," T'Challa said gently. "I know how much you were looking forward to being with her again."

Steve nodded mutely. What could he possibly say?

All of those countless conversations that he'd pictured having with Hermione over and over in his head during the last couple of weeks faded away into silence now that he knew she couldn't even bear to be in the same room as him.

He just prayed that he hadn't lost her forever.

* * *

A/N Poor Steve :(

I've never written from Rhodey's PoV before so that was fun to try out and to evolve his friendship with Hermione.

This is actually a combination of 2 chapters - that's why it's extra long. All the Steve PoV was supposed to be chap 2 and Rhodey PoV chap 3 but I didn't like how that worked so I smushed them together to make a bumper one. You're welcome!

Tony is definitely being harsh here, I know. It's not about the Bucky-omission anymore. He's protecting himself from getting hurt again. Trying to cut himself off from the pain and shame of what happened in Siberia.

I know we were light on the events of Black Panther but it didn't feel right to insert Steve and Natasha into what was a very personal war for the people of Wakanda.

Anyway, let me know your thoughts.

Lil Drop of Magic


	3. Chapter 3

A/N Hello everyone. Thanks for your support. Sorry that this is a bit late. My laptop stopped working a month ago and today was my first opportunity to get a new one!

* * *

Hermione stared at the closed door, her heart thudding rapidly in her chest.

_I can't do this_, she thought, more than a little panicked. _I'm not ready - it's happening too quickly!_

She felt Rhodey squeeze her shoulder supportively. "You've got this," he told her quietly, apparently not needing to hear her thoughts to know what she was feeling. "It's going to be OK - I'm right here."

She'd spent the preceding few days mentally getting ready for this trip to Wakanda, and had gradually prepared herself for the moment when she would see her daughter again. Her tentative excitement had just begun to overcome her anxiety at the visit, but she had been thrown for a loop when T'Challa had happily informed her within minutes of the delegation's arrival at a Wakandan border village that her daughter was waiting to meet her in a medical facility just a few miles away. The prospect of seeing her baby so much sooner than she was expecting had her anxiety ratcheting upwards again. She had wanted to ask T'Challa to delay the reunion, but she could feel the eyes of the other delegates on her back and didn't want to give them any reason to be suspicious of her behaviour lest they feedback to Secretary Ross. Any other mother would be desperate to be at their child's side, wouldn't they?

She and Rhodey had planned to portray to the other delegates that they were casual co-workers and had deliberately sat away from each other on the flight from Nairobi. However, one panicked look from Hermione had him excusing himself from the distrustful members of the World Security Council to come to her side.

"I've told them I'm going to join you to keep an eye on you, like Ross wants," he'd said quietly, purposefully standing in front of her so that the other delegates couldn't see her face. She'd whispered her thanks and then tried not to tremble as T'Challa motioned towards a vehicle a few yards away. And so, less than twenty minutes later, only a door now separated Hermione from her daughter.

She felt reasonably confident that her daughter was in good health because she doubted that T'Challa would've happily invited her to come here if the baby was unwell. Her panicked thoughts were more focused on the emotional trauma that had been wrought at her decision to part ways with her own child. Would there still be a bond between mother and baby? Would she be rejected by her daughter? Would she look down on the infant and feel guilt; despair; unworthiness; terror; resentment; or, worst of all, absolutely nothing?

A bright flash and sharp crack echoed in the corridor, revealing a scorch mark a couple of feet away from where she and Rhodey were standing. He gripped her shoulder tighter in surprise as she flinched at the sudden outburst of her magic, but it hardly came as a surprise to her. No, it only confirmed what she knew - she wasn't ready for this. Her daughter wasn't safe around her in this state. Hermione pulled away from Rhodey's comforting hold, waved her hand to repair the damage and then took a few hurried steps back towards the entrance.

"Hermione!" Rhodey called after her but she didn't stop. She had to get out. She felt like she was suffocating in there.

The air she tried to pull into her lungs was thick and hot outside the facility, but at least she was able to breathe a little easier. A grove of trees stood a few feet away and she stumbled over to it, one hand coming up to her mouth to try and stifle her sobs. It was cooler amongst the shade of the trees and a breeze wafted over her skin. Closing her eyes, she placed her forehead and the tips of her fingers against the rough bark of the nearest tree and just focused on her breathing.

After a couple of minutes, she heard the front door swish open and closed again, followed by footsteps on the sunbaked ground.

"Wow," Rhodey said quietly. "That's beautiful."

Hermione opened her eyes and moved her head backwards a little to stare at the transformed trunk before her. She'd been sending a steady stream of magic into the tree in an attempt to regain her control and, though the trees in the grove around her had kept their shape, her abilities had crystallised them. The way the glass-like branches and leaves now sparkled in the sunlight almost made them too bright to look at. Her gaze dropped to the ground, which shimmered and glistened like a sea of rainbows as her magic pulsed through it.

"Yes, it is," she agreed softly, surprising herself a little. It felt like she was so often battling with her magic that she sometimes forgot the beauty that she could create with it. She removed her hands from the tree and noticed that tiny clear crystals covered her fingers and palms too. After a few seconds of concentration, the crystals had all converged into the shapes of two identical hearts, both less than half the size of her little finger. She closed her fingers around them tightly and looked at Rhodey. He was watching her calmly with his hand shielding his eyes from the twinkling trees, just waiting for her without any pressure, and she felt a huge wave of gratitude for him.

"Do you want to try again?" he asked somewhat cautiously.

She looked at the building behind him and her panicked symptoms temporarily flared once more. "Not yet," she said in a small voice. She tried to ignore the voice in her head that questioned what sort of mother didn't want to see her daughter. It wasn't that she didn't want to see her, it was that she wasn't ready; her magic wasn't settled enough to be so close to something so precious.

Rhodey nodded slowly. "OK. That's fine."

"Will you," she started and then paused. "Will you explain to the medical staff? And, and just check that she's OK for me? If she's crying and unsettled then maybe we should do this another day."

"Sure thing," he replied easily. "I'll be back in a couple of minutes."

She nodded and waited anxiously by the grove for his return. It seemed to take far longer than a couple of minutes and she started to fear that something was wrong. Rhodey was smiling when he emerged, and she felt herself deflate a little in relief.

"She's _fine_," he told her reassuringly. "She's sleeping like an angel."

Tears immediately obscured her vision and she held the crystal hearts tight against her chest. "You promise?" she asked, voice trembling.

"Absolutely," he vowed, walking over to join her in the crystal grove. He opened his arms slightly and she stepped into his embrace. She cried tears of joy and relief, but also a little of heartbreak, as Rhodey rubbed her back.

"You know, I was thinking," he told her once her tears started to subside. "How about instead of you going in there, we bring her out here?" Hermione stilled at once and then moved back to look at his face. "I checked with the carers and they're happy to move her for a while," he continued. "What do you think?"

Hermione waited for the idea to trigger another bout of anxious symptoms but she felt a mere tremble rather than the wave she was used to. Somehow, this proposal was far less intimidating. Perhaps it was the freedom of the open space - she could look on her child from a distance, with less worry that she would harm her, and yet still be together.

She nodded quickly before her nerves could convince her to change her mind. "Yes - I, I think I can manage that."

Rhodey's lips turned up slightly. "Well, alright then." He turned towards the facility, keeping one arm around her shoulders, and raised his other hand to give a thumbs up to the door. Hermione hadn't quite expected things to happen so quickly and she clutched at Rhodey's shirt as the door swished open and two women emerged. The first carried a wooden bassinet stand that she placed a few yards away from Hermione, but she barely noticed because the second woman held a beautiful reed moses basket that had traditional african patterns woven into the lining. The sides of the basket were quite high and Hermione couldn't see inside until the basket was secured to the stand and the women moved out of the way.

And there she was.

Her daughter.

Hermione couldn't believe that her child was right before her eyes once more after a month apart. Her chest was so full of different emotions that she found that she was struggling to breathe again, but it wasn't a sensation of suffocating like before: she felt more alive than she had in weeks! Her eyes inevitably became teary once more and she brushed them away with a small laugh.

"You OK?" Rhodey asked, turning his head to look at her.

"Yeah," she said, her voice thick with emotion, "I'm OK."

The significance of this moment obviously passed her daughter by, as she continued to sleep soundly, but Hermione was quite content to just gaze on the minute movement of her chest rising and falling. Her eyes drank in the tufts of light brown hair on her head and her little button nose, her rounded cheeks and the way she had her hands clenched into little fists either side of her head.

After a few minutes, Rhodey gently convinced her to get closer but when he suggested Hermione pick her up, she shook her head. "I think that'll push me too far," she admitted. "This is safe - I'm in control right now, but I don't know how I'd react if I held her." She sensed that he was disappointed on her behalf and she nudged him gently in the ribs. "You can pick her up for me."

He sent her a look of faint disbelief. "_Me?_"

"Why not?"

Rhodey looked back at the sleeping baby disconcertedly.

Hermione smiled. "I don't think I've ever seen you look so scared," she teased.

"Ha, ha," he replied humorlessly. After a further moment's pause, he stepped over to the crib. "Hi, young lady," he said softly and then paused as the baby shifted in her sleep. "Oh, you waking up, baby girl? You wanna say hello to your mama?"

As Hermione watched, Rhodey bent over the basket and delicately shifted the tiny infant into his strong arms. The little girl continued to stretch, her arms and legs bending as they got used to the change of support.

"She's travelled a long way to come and see you," Rhodey continued gently, straightening up with the baby securely encased in his hold. "We both have."

He took a couple of steps in Hermione's direction but she held out a hand to make him stop. "I don't want her to get hurt."

"You feel like you're losing control?" he asked.

Hermione took a moment of self-reflection. "No," she admitted slowly. "But it's too risky, Rhodey. Please. Just keep her a safe distance away from me."

He looked disappointed again but he nodded anyway. "Whatever you want."

After her stretching and wriggling, the baby girl settled back into a deep sleep without once opening her eyes. Hermione was more than content to watch her daughter rest peacefully in Rhodey's arms as he rocked ever so slightly from side to side amidst the sparkling lights of the crystal trees.

* * *

There was someone in her room.

She didn't even need to open her eyes to be sure - not that this would've actually helped her because it was completely dark within the hut. Instinctively, she sent out a stunning spell in the direction of the intruder. Something heavy fell to the ground.

Concerned that the rest of the delegation were under attack, Hermione quickly conjured up some glowing balls of light so that she could get more of an insight into the danger. She was still straining to hear telling shouts of alarm from her colleagues when her eyes fell on her would-be attacker and her breath caught in her throat. It was Steve.

She simply stared at his unconscious form for a few seconds. However, when the shock began to wear off, new emotions stirred within her: longing, anguish, guilt and more than a trace of anger. She briefly tore her gaze away from him and cast a number of preventative charms that would make sure his presence in her hut wouldn't be discovered.

Sitting back on her bed, she looked down at the crumpled form of her husband again. She had half a mind to get in touch with T'Challa so that Steve could be hidden away whilst he was still stupefied. It would certainly be much easier that way but Hermione wouldn't put it past Steve to just launch another attempt tomorrow night.

Hermione took a few moments to study him. He had been rather battered and bruised after Siberia but he was obviously well-recovered since then. He had dressed in dark clothes to avoid being spotted but her eyes were able to pick out that a month in Wakanda had done him no harm physically. In fact, his face was far more tanned than she'd ever seen it before. Her forehead creased slightly in surprise at the few days' worth of stubble that coated his lower face. She'd never known him to be anything other than completely clean shaven and she automatically reached her fingers down to find out what it felt like. Less than an inch away from his face, she quickly drew her hand away and clenched it into a fist. She let out a loud sigh of frustration and then cast a reviving spell at him.

His eyes flew open and his body tensed in preparation to act, but then he saw her sat above him on the bed and he relaxed. "You stunned me?" The look she gave him made it pretty clear that of course she stunned the person who broke into her room in the dead of night. He frowned and got to his feet. "I always wondered what it felt like."

"If you wanted to know so badly I could've stunned you years ago and then you wouldn't have had to risk your freedom by breaking in here," she told him plainly.

He looked at her searchingly for a few moments and then sighed. "This isn't how I wanted this to go," he murmured, looking almost pained as his gaze continued to take her in.

"This wasn't supposed to happen at all, Steve," she reminded him. T'Challa had passed on Harry's message telling Steve to stay away - she was sure of it.

"No, I know," he said heavily, the pain still evident as he finally glanced away from her. "I understand that you don't want to see me after everything that I put you through but - "

His demeanour suddenly made sense and her heart clenched. "You think I didn't want to see you because I'm upset with you about what happened?" she interrupted in faint disbelief.

He stared at her. "Well, yeah," he admitted, his brows creasing together in confusion. "What else was I supposed to think? We both know you could overcome any security measures that have been put in place."

Hermione unconsciously grabbed a fistful of the bedsheets to give her the courage to say her next words. "Steve, I didn't want to see you because I couldn't bear the idea of having to say goodbye to you again. Sending you and our daughter away was one of the hardest things I've ever had to do..." Her voice became choked up with emotion as she spoke and there were unshed tears in her eyes by the end. They had kept a wary distance from each other since she had woken Steve, but he knelt before her now and pulled her into his arms. His hold was achingly familiar and she longed to melt into his embrace and forget about the rest of the world.

But she couldn't. Giving in, indulging even for a few seconds, would only make things harder when they parted again.

Steve quickly sensed her stiffness and pulled back to stare into her eyes. He raised a gloved hand towards her cheek but she turned her face away from the tender gesture. "Don't," she told him, her voice trembling. "Please, Steve - it's too much."

His jaw tightened but he nodded and stood once more, taking a few moments to look round her room as he collected his thoughts. He turned his gaze back to her. "I respect that, honest, I do - but you can't just shut me out, Hermione, please."

"I'm not shutting you out," she denied. "We're talking, aren't we?"

"Only because I broke in," he pointed out. She pursed her lips together but couldn't argue with what he'd said. She watched warily as Steve took a seat on the bed next to her, his eyes sinking into her soul. "Sweetheart, what you did for me and our family - the sacrifice you made to keep us safe so that you could fight for us - I understand why you felt like you had to do it but I wish you had discussed - "

"You wouldn't have agreed to go," she interrupted him, her heart thundering in her chest. "We were surrounded by Ross's team and there wasn't time to debate the pros and cons. A decision had to be made, I made it and I don't regret it - you and our daughter are out of harm's way and I - "

"You're a pawn under Ross's control, a wife without her husband, a mother without her child!" Steve broke in. "It doesn't have to be that way, Hermione. Come back to us, _please_. We need you."

Hermione stood abruptly from the bed, wrapping her arms around her chest as she kept her back to him. "This is why I didn't want to see you - I knew you'd try and change my mind."

"Because we made a vow to always tackle things _together_," he reminded her, also rising from the mattress. "That's what being in a committed relationship means, remember?"

She turned back to him, eyes blazing with tears and frustration. "Don't act like you're not guilty of the same thing - you hid Bucky away from the Task Force in Berlin instead of reaching out to them when you knew the truth; you were going to fly off on a deadly mission to Siberia even though there was a chance I'd never see you again!"

His shoulders sagged at her words and Hermione realised that she'd been holding onto more frustration with Steve than she'd realised.

They stared at each other sadly for a few moments.

"When did we stop being a team?" he asked forlornly.

Hermione covered her mouth to stifle a sob and moved forwards slightly so that she could rest her head against his chest. He held her in his arms again but this time she didn't resist it.

"I'm so sorry that I hurt you," he told her gently, his arms stroking her back. "That was the last thing I wanted to do."

"I know," she sighed, turning her head sideways so that she could tuck it underneath his chin. "You were doing what you thought was best at the time."

"As were you," he said.

"Steve, why do our well-intended actions keep hurting other people?" she asked, a recollection of Tony's battered, anguished face piercing through her heart.

"I don't know, sweetheart," he told her heavily. "But in terms of you and I, I think maybe we've gotta communicate with each other more openly. We owe it to each other and our daughter to be honest with each other. Did you see her today? It's killing me to be away from her for a few hours."

Hermione moved her arms so that they settled comfortably around his waist and smiled at the memory of her daughter and the love she heard in Steve's voice. "I saw her."

"And? What did you think?"

Hermione raised her head to look into his eyes. "She's perfect," she whispered.

Steve smiled and momentarily tightened his arms around her to show his pleasure. "She sure is," he agreed. "When she's not wailing for more food, that is, and that happens a lot."

"But she's OK, isn't she?" Hermione asked tentatively. "She looked well from what I could see."

"She's doing great, sweetheart," he replied, smiling again. "She's getting stronger every day and Malaika says she's progressing much quicker than most babies. Oh, Malaika helped raise T'Challa and his sister - he knew I'd need some help so she lives with us down by the river. Malaika is the reason why our baby girl is doing so well - I think it's safe to say that Nat and I would not be coping so well without her."

Hermione felt a great sense of relief that her family were being so well looked after. She had trusted that T'Challa would look out for them but seeing and hearing the proof was a weight off her mind after a month of uncertainty. "And Natasha - how's she?"

"Annoyed that you didn't want to see her," Steve replied with a hint of amusement. "She's getting as much R and R as she can whilst helping care for a newborn, but I think she's starting to get a bit bored. I might ask T'Challa if he can find some sort of job for her to make use of her skills."

"Give her my love, won't you?" Hermione requested.

"Of course."

"And what about you?" she asked nervously. "How - how are you?"

His good humour seeped away and he rested his forehead against hers. "I miss my wife," he answered heavily.

Hermione shivered and tried not to panic or overwhelm him as their skin came into contact for the first time. _I miss you too_, she sent back to Steve, letting him feel just how much she loved him. When he moved his hand to her cheek she didn't turn him away this time, and she lifted her head slightly so that she could kiss him. It felt so right to be back in Steve's embrace and her body was singing with the feelings she'd been shutting herself off from for so long.

Their kisses had started off tender, but quickly became more desperate and heated.

"Stay," Steve pleaded breathlessly between kisses. "Stay with me - don't leave again."

Hermione screwed her eyes shut tight. She'd known that this moment was coming but it didn't make it any easier. "No, Steve. I can't."

He pulled his head back but still kept her in his arms. "Yes, you can."

Hermione shook her head. "This isn't just about you and me, Steve."

"I know - it's about our daughter too," he argued. "She needs her mother, Hermione."

"And I want to be with her, of course I do," Hermione retorted emotionally, "but it's not that simple. I can't just ignore the threat that I know is coming. Thanos is more formidable than any foe we've ever faced."

Steve shook his head "But you don't know for sure if that day will ever come."

"I can't take that risk," she told him steadily, echoes from her past coming back to haunt her. "I've already lived that future: the world destroyed by Thanos, everyone I love _gone_. I'm not going to let it happen for real - and nor would you if you'd seen what I have."

He pulled her close and kissed her head. "I know, I'm sorry," he said softly, "but staying with me doesn't have to be the end of your fight. You'll still have your magical connections, T'Challa will be on your side -"

"But staying on the right side of the law gives me all that _and_ the support of the rest of the United Nations. I'm sorry, my love, but you can't argue with the numbers. And don't think that I'm not fighting your fight, too. I'm going to get you pardoned, Steve, and then we can all be together without having to look over our shoulders all the time."

He studied her face. "You really think that Ross will ever allow that to be approved?"

"He doesn't control the whole of the UN," she pointed out. "I've just helped to negotiate house arrest deals for Clint and Scott that allow them to be with their families - Sam and Wanda are next. It'll take time, but eventually they'll be willing to drop the charges against you. Nobody wants to see the Avengers vilified and locked away."

"And until that happens - if it ever does - I'm supposed to be content that you won't be a part of my life? That you won't see our daughter grow up?" Steve questioned.

"Of course I don't expect you to be happy about it!" she replied, her voice a little frustrated. "_I'm_ not happy about it but that is where things stand at the moment. I need to earn my stripes with Ross and his allies but I know that will be a long time coming yet - he's waiting for me to slip up and give you away and that's why I'm under such close scrutiny at the moment. If I show up anywhere that he's not expecting me to be, he's going to cause a big stink about it. So, yes, as much as it breaks my heart, we're not going to be together any time soon."

He looked devastated by her words. "You're not going to change your mind, are you?"

Hermione pressed her lips together and shook her head. Steve pulled her into a tight embrace with a deep sigh. They stayed there, just holding each other for a few minutes, until something occurred to her. "You haven't told me what you've named her," she said.

"That's because I haven't," he replied, much to her surprise.

"Why not?"

"I didn't want to make a decision like that without you," he explained and Hermione felt a warm glow in her heart. "Besides, if I picked a name you didn't like I'd never hear the end of it."

She poked him in the ribs (despite the fact that what he said was true) but he chuckled and kissed the top of her head.

"I know we looked at a few names before she was born but have any stood out or come to mind since?" Hermione asked him.

"Actually there are a couple," he revealed and then explained about the name that Malaika called their daughter and its meaning.

"You want to call her Nomlanga?" Hermione questioned in faint disbelief and he chuckled.

"No, not Nomlanga," he said. "I liked what the name represented about the sun and a bright future so I researched names that you and I might be more familiar with that have a similar meaning."

"And?" Hermione prompted.

"There were two that I liked: Helen and Lucy."

Hermione loved that he had a strong connection to those names thanks to the support he had received from Malaika and T'Challa. When she remembered the way that the crystal trees had created such beautiful twinkling lights for her reunion with her daughter, she knew that they felt right. She tested the names in her mind to find which one felt right.

"Lucy," she said softly. "I like Lucy."

"You're sure?" he asked and she nodded.

"Our daughter's name is Lucy Rogers."

* * *

A/N Hope you liked it! Let me know in a review.

Lots of love,

Lil Drop of Magic


	4. Chapter 4

"Peter, don't forget to get the groceries while you're out!"

Peter momentarily halted on his way out the door and tapped his pants pocket to make sure his aunt's list was still there. "No worries, May!" he called back and then closed the front door behind him.

He made quick work of the stairs and was out onto the streets that he knew so well. Summer in the city - there used to be nothing that he loved more. However, recent events had changed his outlook and now the bustling city and endless days of sun didn't hold the same appeal. He'd had a taste of the adventurous life of a superhero and he was itching for more. School had been out for a few weeks and he'd been spending a large part of every day since preparing himself for when Mr Stark would get in contact again to take him on his next mission.

Peter walked a couple of blocks and then ducked down an alley to change into his suit. Within minutes, he was suited up and scanning for opportunities from the rooftops. For over an hour, he leapt, somersaulted and swung from building to building without any luck. The only good he managed to do was to rescue a cat from a precarious ledge that jumped there only because he had scared it with his abrupt arrival. He gathered a few bits of trash to do some target practice shooting his webs and then just sat on the edge of a roof, gazing over at the tiny glimpse he had of Avengers Tower.

"No wonder you spend so much time on rooftops when the views are this good," someone commented behind him. Peter leapt around at the sound of the voice. He'd been taken by surprise which didn't happen often thanks to his heightened senses: whoever it was seemed to have popped out of nowhere. When he saw that it was Hermione Rogers, he realised that was a distinct possibility.

"Oh, hey, yeah, they're kinda neat," he said, a little flustered by her abrupt arrival. He hadn't seen her since she'd been bundled away by armed men after something had gone wrong with her magic. Peter had been extremely worried about her and the fate of her unborn child, but nobody had told him anything. It was only when Mr Stark arrived to take him back to Queens that he was told, very curtly, that 'everything was fine' and he'd sensed that he shouldn't ask any more questions. He would still find himself wondering about the whole Rogers family most days but the radio silence from Mr Stark meant that he only had what was portrayed in the news to go on - and the sensationalist headlines of Captain America being a war criminal weren't very accurate in Peter's opinion.

"So, um, how are you?" he asked, removing his mask because it felt a little weird to talk to her when he was fully suited and she was just dressed in a casual summer dress. Her laidback attire also doused any hopes he'd had that she was there to bring him in on a new mission. "I was kinda worried about you but you look, uh, well." He tried not to wince at his stumbling words and told himself that he _hadn't_ been staring at her body - and if he _had_ it was only to compare it to how it had been when she was about to give birth.

"I'm OK, Peter, thank you for asking," she replied. "I'm sorry for what happened in Germany - I don't usually lose control of my magic like that. I hope I didn't hurt you."

Peter waved a hand dismissively. "No, Mrs Rogers, I was totally fine," he lied, not prepared to tell her about the fractured collarbone or burnt fingers he'd received when he'd stuck by her side during the initial stages of her ordeal. Besides, he recovered from injuries much more quickly than normal people so it wasn't a big deal.

She smiled at him "Good - but please call me Hermione."

He nodded. "Uh, sure."

"I just wanted to thank you for staying with me when everything started to go wrong," she explained and then reached into her purse to pull out a couple of wrapped bundles. "And I brought you some lunch to make up for putting you through such a terrifying ordeal."

"Wow, that's awesome, thank you," Peter said, "You didn't have to do that."

Hermione shrugged, handed him the heated sub and then took a seat on the edge of the roof next to him. "I wanted to," she replied simply, beginning to unwrap her own lunch.

Peter had been desperate to reconnect with the world of the Avengers but he hadn't expected one of them to pop onto one of his favoured roof tops to join him for lunch. He sat down eagerly, trying to play it cool despite the fact that he was casually hanging out with the Sorceress.

They sat in silence for a while, content to tuck into their subs. "Mhhmm, this is really good," Peter said. "Thanks."

"You're welcome," she said from behind her hand as she finished her mouthful. "I wanted to come and see you sooner but, well, my life has been rather hectic these last few weeks," she told him.

"Yeah, I'll bet," he said, eyebrows raised. "Looking after a newborn baby must be crazy."

He didn't think it was his spider-senses that alerted him that he'd said something wrong, maybe it was just an intuitive empathy that he hadn't realised he possessed, but his stomach clenched in panic almost as soon as the words came out of his mouth.

"Actually, my daughter doesn't live with me," Hermione told him calmly. Peter wanted to throw himself off the ledge in his mortification but he could only stare at her with wide eyes, his lunch grasped limply in his hand, as she continued to talk. "Her prognosis wasn't good when she was born and, for a few different reasons that I won't go into, the safest thing for her was to send her to Wakanda."

"Wakanda?!" he repeated in disbelief, unable to help himself. Peter had never really heard of the country until the incident in Lagos, but when he'd suddenly found himself alongside the new king as part of a superhero team, he researched the reclusive nation once he got home. What little he found wasn't particularly impressive: a mostly agricultural country with a very weak GDP and minimal international links. Hermione would've had to be very desperate to send her baby there.

"Despite what you may have heard about Wakanda, I knew that she would be well cared for there," Hermione continued. "But I also knew that their preference for isolation would mean I'd have limited opportunities to see her."

Peter was certain that his eyes looked like they were about to fall out of his head but he couldn't help being so astonished.

"T'Challa invited members of the UN to Wakanda for the first time and I was amongst the party last week." Hermione reached into her purse and pulled out her cellphone. She unlocked it, swiped a couple of times and then held it out to Peter. "Here, I wanted you to know that she's doing well."

Peter quickly put down his half-eaten sub and wiped his hands on his suit before carefully taking her phone. The screen showed a photo of a tiny baby gazing up at him complete with tiny fists, chubby cheeks, big brown eyes and a button nose. Hermione made a flicking motion with her hand and the phone played a clip of the baby girl lying in her cot as Hermione gently rocked the cradle and sang a soft lullaby to her daughter. He wanted to freak out a little that not only was this the baby of the Sorceress and Captain America, but he was also surely one of the only people in the world to have seen her, but he was determined not to embarrass himself in front of Hermione. "That's awesome," he managed to make himself say. "I'm so glad she's OK. What's her name?"

"Lucy," she replied warmly. "Lucy Natasha Rogers."

He enjoyed seeing the other clips as he finished his lunch (momentarily awed again when he recognised that the man holding Lucy in some of the photos and videos was actually Colonel Rhodes) but then he remembered what Hermione had said. "But she still doesn't live with you?" he asked tentatively.

She shook her head. "Unfortunately, I'm effectively a single parent in a dangerous, demanding and unstable job. Until that changes, Lucy will probably stay in Wakanda where she's safe and looked after by people who love her dearly."

Hermione was trying to put a brave face on it but Peter could tell how much the separation was hurting her.

Peter didn't really know what to say. Half an hour ago, his mind had been focused on his boring morning and deciding where to grab some lunch before he picked up Aunt May's groceries. Hermione was firmly established in the world he wanted to be a part of and her problems were so overwhelming that he wondered for the first time whether he was actually ready for it. "I wish there was something I could do to help," he told her truthfully.

"Is that an offer to babysit?" she asked, looking at him hopefully.

His eyebrows flew upwards in mild panic. "Uh, well, I've never, I mean, maybe, uh, yeah, if you really want me to," he spluttered.

She smiled. "Relax, Peter. I'm only teasing you."

He tried not to sag in relief.

"But if I do ever get to bring Lucy back home, I think you'd be a pretty safe pair of hands," she said.

"Uh, thanks," he replied, grinning.

"Anyway, enough about me," Hermione said. "How have you been since Germany? I imagine it was quite difficult to transition back to civilian life after that."

He thought about it. "I'm getting kinda used to keeping a big part of my life a secret but, yeah, that mission was on a whole other level."

"It seems like it's given you an appetite for more adventures," she said, nodding at his suit.

"Well, _yeah_," he said slowly. He sensed that she disapproved so he said, "I've got these gifts - why wouldn't I want to use them to help people? I know you think I'm just a kid but I showed that I can look after myself, didn't I?"

Hermione seemed to be considering her words carefully. "Peter, I was exposed to dangerous situations from a young age - younger than you are now, so my caution comes from experience. When you're young, you just want to be treated like an adult and make your own choices, but what many don't quite comprehend when they're desperate to be grown up is that those choices have consequences. You've seen the fallout that myself, Steve, Tony and all of the Avengers have had to face from the decisions we've made. If you step into our world, your age won't protect you from those consequences, and as much as Tony or I or someone else will do our best to help you out, sometimes there's nothing that can be done."

Peter listened in silence, feeling every word she said throb through his brain. He knew that Hermione's words came from a good place; that she was looking out for him. He had questioned his readiness for such a life only moments earlier but he couldn't imagine not being Spider-Man: he had found his calling in life and his age was irrelevant.

"Your abilities don't define you, Peter," she continued, almost in response to his thoughts. "Having these gifts doesn't mean you're destined to put yourself in danger - there are other paths that you could choose that will utilise your abilities. You always need to remember that you have a choice."

"The same could be said for you," he pointed out, "but you've put yourself in those situations time and again."

Hermione nodded solemnly. "And I've suffered for it. The people I love have suffered too. Anyone who wants to follow this path deserves to know where it leads."

Her words sank into his gut like a stone. He didn't mind if he got hurt trying to help others but he couldn't bear the thought of something happening to May or one of his friends. He turned to her, feeling a little deflated. "So, I'm supposed to just sit on the sidelines for a few years, ignore anything bad that's happening around me and pretend I'm just like everyone else?"

Hermione looked at him with sympathy. "Honestly, that's what I'd prefer you to do but I know that's neither a realistic hope nor one that's fair to you. Another thing I learned from my own experiences is that exposing someone to this sort of danger and then leaving them shut out in the cold while the adults 'deal with it' will only lead to resentment and rash decisions."

He looked at her in surprise. Part of him wondered what she'd been involved in when she was his age, but the rest of him was trying to figure out what this was leading to.

"Look," she sighed, possibly sensing his burgeoning hopes, "I rarely know what my next week is going to look like, let alone the coming months, and everyone is still getting used to life after the Accords. But I want to be able to keep you in the loop, help you hone your skills, be there for you if you need any advice - that sort of thing."

"Maybe stop some crime together?" he suggested.

"If we happen to come across any," she agreed after a moment's pause,

"And take me on missions?" he asked optimistically.

The hesitation was a lot longer this time. "Unlikely," she eventually admitted, but Peter didn't hear a definitive 'no' so he was actually very pleased. Besides, he had a feeling that Mr Stark was really the one that called the shots and he'd promised Peter that someone would get in touch when the time was right.

"OK, thanks," Peter said, genuinely grateful that someone like her would go out of their way to make time for him. "That all sounds really awesome."

Hermione nodded. "Just promise me that if you see anything really dangerous you'll get in touch. Here." She picked up her cell phone and made a different swiping motion in his direction. "You've got my details now."

"Really?" He had a direct line to the Sorceress? That was insane. He pulled his phone out from within his suit and, sure enough, a new contact had been added under her name. "Thanks."

"No problem." She got to her feet and he did likewise. "I've got to go to a meeting at the UN now but I might be able to drop by and see you later in the week. What day are you free?"

"Yes," he said instinctively and then rubbed the back of his head in embarrassment. "I mean, all of them. I'm totally free." And even if I wasn't I'd cancel all my plans, he added mentally.

"All right," she said, smiling a little, "I'll be in touch when my schedule is a little clearer."

He nodded, trying not to get his hopes up given that he'd yet to hear anything from Mr Stark - neither personally nor through his pointman, Happy Hogan. "Thanks again for lunch."

"You're welcome." She waved a hand in farewell. "Bye, Peter."

"Wait!" he said suddenly, forcing himself to speak before he lost the nerve. She looked at him quizzically. "Uh, could I maybe have a selfie?" Hermione regarded him in silence for a few seconds and Peter could feel himself shrivelling up with embarrassment. "It's OK if you don't want to - I know you're pretty secretive."

"We can have a selfie on one condition," she said serenely.

"Uh, OK," he replied, a little apprehensive of her stipulation.

"Put Spider-Man on hold for the next few days. Don't go chasing your next dangerous mission but spend time with your friends and family, just being Peter. You're never going to get your youth back - don't wish it away," she advised.

He nodded solemnly, showing her that he was taking her words seriously. "Yeah, I will, I promise."

She smiled. "And, here, this might be a wise precaution." She waved her hand in his direction and his senses tingled wildly. When he looked down, he saw that she had swapped his suit for something much more conspicuous.

"Oh, yeah, that's probably a good idea," he murmured, feeling a little foolish. He tentatively stepped a little closer to her and held up his phone. She put her arm around his shoulders and he grinned for the camera despite his awkwardness.

When he stopped in the store on his way home, he picked up a few extra items so that he could bake May some cookies. He also phoned Ned and organised a retro gaming marathon for the next couple of days.

May loved her cookies and Ned duly kicked his butt on most of the games.

"Peter, you've got a message," Ned said dully. They had been playing various versions of Mortal Kombat for nearly four hours and their brains were slowly deteriorating into mush. Ned had taken pity on his best friend and was trying to teach Peter how to improve his combinations to give him a chance of beating Ned the next time they played.

"It's probably May," Peter said, not taking his eyes off the screen as he furiously clicked different buttons on the controller. "What does she want?"

Peter sensed Ned pick up his phone and click the home screen. "Who's Hermione?"

Peter dropped the controller and grabbed the phone out of Ned's hand.

"Hey, whoa," Ned protested.

_Hi, Peter. Hope you're well. I should be free for an hour tomorrow morning. Want me to give you a tour of the Midtown skyline?_

Soaring around the top of Manhattan with the Sorceress? _Hell yeah_, he wanted to do that. Peter punched in a quick reply.

"_Peter!_"

He looked at his friend, surprised at his insistent tone. "What?"

"Who's Hermione?" Ned repeated. "Have you got a girlfriend?"

"What? No!" he denied, suddenly realising that his response to her message had been a little too enthusiastic. "Hermione - she's my cousin," he claimed, hoping that he was being convincing.

Ned looked very sceptical. "Your cousin?" he repeated flatly.

"Yeah, she's in town and I've been waiting for her to tell me when she wants to meet up."

"I call bullshit - no one's ever that excited to get a message from a relative," Ned retorted. "Come on, it's a girl you like, isn't it?"

"No, she's my cousin," Peter insisted and drew up the selfies he'd taken with Hermione. "Look!"

Ned studied the photos for a few moments and Peter held his breath.

"Why didn't you tell me you had a hot cousin?" Ned asked at last.

"_Dude_!"

"What?"

"That's weird - she's my cousin."

"_So_? She's not _my_ cousin?" Ned pointed out.

"She's, like, ten years older than you."

"Age is but a number, Peter."

"She's married with a new baby, dude."

"Oh."

"And her husband could totally kick your ass," Peter told him truthfully.

Ned sighed, shrugged and handed the phone back to Peter. "She's still hot."

"Stop it, Ned."

* * *

A/N Short but (hopefully) sweet, right? I really enjoyed this chapter so I hope you all did too. The relationship between Hermione and Peter was hinted at in the Doctor Strange chapter in the first chapter in case you were wondering who the 'cousin' was that she mentioned.

I've been struggling with this series lately - I'm ahead of you but haven't written anything new since the New Year so any motivating reviews would be much appreciated! Thank you to all those who drop me a comment, even if it's just one word. Your kind words always make me smile.

Until next time,

Lil Drop of Magic


	5. Chapter 5

A/N Thank you so much for all your lovely responses to the last chapter. Your kind words have been a great comfort especially with all that is going on in the world at the moment.

Here's the next update. I have to warn you about a mild Cursed Child spoiler in here. If you haven't read or seen CC I really don't think it will ruin things for you - I wouldn't have included it if I thought it would.

* * *

"Oh, darling, here - take this."

Hermione started as a handkerchief suddenly appeared in front of her eyes. She raised a hand to her cheeks and realised that she'd been crying. Embarrassed, she took the offered handkerchief and quickly dabbed at her eyes and cheeks, trying to regain her composure.

Hermione sensed the person who'd given her the handkerchief (a woman, by the tone of her voice) take a seat beside her and pat her consolingly on the back. Although she appreciated receiving comfort from this unknown person, her instinct was to push them away. "Thank you," she murmured, eyes downcast, "but I'm fine."

"Darling, you're sitting crying on your own in a Ministry corridor at eleven-thirty on a Tuesday morning," the stranger pointed out - her kind delivery of the words taking the sting out of their bluntness. "That certainly doesn't qualify as 'fine' in my book."

Hermione felt her cheeks flush in embarrassment. It was bad enough that she'd unknowingly been crying in public but who knew how many people had seen her until this woman had taken pity on her. It was all Malfoy's fault. She avoided the corridors of the Ministry at all costs, but it had been twelve months since the Avengers had signed her secret-keeping spell and he had called her in to discuss the charm's effectiveness. She'd not been looking forward to this meeting because she just knew that Malfoy was going to be snide and pompous over the downfall of the Avengers. She was also a little on edge, not only because she was still deeply uncomfortable being around her fellow witches and wizards with her wandless abilities, but also because this was the first time she'd ventured into a magical location since signing the Accords and she wasn't sure what her tracking bracelet would make of all the distortion. She'd wanted this meeting to be over as quickly as possible and had arrived at Malfoy's office at the precise time, only to be told that he was held up and wouldn't be able to see her for another thirty minutes.

That was a disaster.

Hermione knew it wasn't healthy but she purposely tried to ensure she always had something to keep her mind occupied. Unfortunately, it wasn't as though she could just pull out some of her Stranger Enterprises or Sorceress work to get on with whilst she was sat outside Draco Malfoy's office, so her mind had wandered to thoughts of people she tried to keep it away from: Tony, Sam, Wanda, Natasha, Steve and Lucy.

"Is there anything I can do to help?" the kind voice offered.

Hermione finally turned to look at the woman. She hadn't really given much thought to the owner of the handkerchief but she'd been expecting someone similar to Molly Weasley. However, her assumption was very wide of the mark. The woman was young, seemingly of a similar age to Hermione. She was very slender and had a poised, delicate face which was enhanced by her deep blue eyes and silky, dark hair. Her whole demeanour was very elegant: from the stylish robes she wore to the perfectly applied make-up and subtle scent of her perfume. Hermione hated to think how she would compare to the stunning woman and her sense of humiliation at being discovered in an emotional state would have increased were it not for the compassion in the stranger's gaze.

"No," Hermione told her with a sigh. "Thank you, but there's nothing you can do."

"Oh, darling, there must be _something_," the young woman said, her beautiful face becoming vexed.

Hermione shook her head. "There's really not. I'll be fine."

The young woman frowned, a tiny wrinkle creasing her forehead, and then removed her hands from their supportive place on Hermione's arm to reach inside an expensive-looking handbag. "Well, there's no other choice, is there?" A small satin box appeared in her hands and she popped open the lid to reveal a dozen or so chocolate truffles.

Hermione blinked in surprise.

"Take one," the woman urged, holding the chocolates towards her. "I insist."

Hermione didn't feel like she could refuse since the stranger had been so kind to her. "Er, thank you," she murmured. Her fingers hovered over the treats before selecting one and popping it into her mouth. The young woman grinned at her and picked one for herself.

"They're good, right?" she commented.

Hermione nodded, savouring the sweetness and smoothness. "_Really_ good."

"Have another," she offered, "I'll only end up eating them all myself."

"All right, but only one," Hermione said with a small smile.

"I've got a terrible sweet tooth," her new friend said conversationally, also choosing another truffle, "but my husband can take or leave it - I do pity him." Hermione let out a little chuckle and the other woman beamed at her. "See, darling, I knew I could cheer you up! I sometimes think that most of the world's problems could be tackled with a bit of chocolate and a cup of tea. It usually works wonders for me."

While Hermione knew that all wasn't going to be fixed with two delicious truffles, she did feel a little more prepared and motivated to face her meeting with Malfoy. "Thanks," Hermione said warmly. "You've no idea how much I needed this."

"Oh, darling, aren't you sweet," the young woman replied effusively, reaching out to squeeze Hermione's fingers. Hermione quickly guarded her thoughts and feelings and the gesture passed harmlessly. "I know that we're not acquainted but if you need someone to talk to - "

"Right, sorry for the wait, Granger," Draco Malfoy announced as he opened his door. He stopped dead at the sight of the two women sitting next to each other. "Tori?"

"Hello, Draco, darling." The woman who'd been comforting Hermione for the last few minutes got to her feet, walked over to him and kissed him on the cheek.

"What are you doing here?" he asked, throwing glances between the two women as Hermione stood, watching nonplussed.

"I came to see if you wanted to go out for lunch later, of course," the woman, _Tori_, replied smiling sweetly at him.

"Hmmm," Malfoy sounded unconvinced. "We already agreed this morning that we'd have lunch in the Leaky Cauldron at one o'clock."

"Yes, I know, darling, but your days often become a little erratic, don't they?" Tori replied easily. "So I thought I'd just make sure before I go shopping."

"Hmmm," Malfoy said again and then turned his gaze to Hermione. "I hope my wife hasn't been bothering you, Granger."

Hermione flinched and choked out, "Your _wife_?" She shouldn't have been so surprised - their body language had clearly shown that they were intimately acquainted and, purely on looks, this woman was exactly the sort of wife she would've imagined Draco Malfoy to have, but her kind-heartedness was certainly not what she would have anticipated.

"We haven't actually been introduced," the newly revealed Mrs Malfoy told him, looking quite pleased with Hermione's reaction, and she nudged him lightly in the ribs.

Draco gave an exasperated sigh. "Gra -" Nudge. "Er, Hermione, may I introduce my wife, formerly known as Astoria Greengrass. Tori, this is Hermione Gra -" Nudge. "Er, Rogers."

"It's such an honour to meet you," Astoria Malfoy declared, eagerly stepping back towards Hermione, with her hand outstretched. "I mean, I saw you at school, of course, and just now I knew who you were straight away but I didn't want to intrude or anything." Hermione stared at their joined hands and recalled how at ease Astoria was with comforting and touching her earlier - this woman clearly didn't hold the same prejudices against muggleborns that her husband had possessed. She glanced over at Draco, expecting to see him attempting to hide disapproval but, if anything, he looked faintly amused.

"Sorry," Hermione said, returning her attention back to Astoria, "I'm just really surprised - I didn't even know that Draco had gotten married. It's nice to meet you too, Mrs Malfoy."

"Oh, darling - call me Tori!" she instructed, smiling brilliantly. "Everyone else does."

Hermione nodded. "Tori. Thank you for cheering me up. I really do appreciate it."

Astoria trembled with pleasure. "Oh, you _must _come to lunch with us when you and Draco have finished with your meeting."

Hermione balked a little. She was due to spend the next hour or so with Draco Malfoy and she had no desire to extend that time to socialise with him, even if she had found herself liking his wife. "Well, I -"

"I'm not sure - " Draco began.

"How wonderful!" Astoria trilled. "I'll go and request a private room for us at the Leaky Cauldron and I'll see you two at one o'clock." She gave Hermione another dazzling smile, kissed Draco on the cheek and then hurried away before either of them could attempt to scupper her plan.

Hermione shook her head, feeling a little dazed, and then gave Draco a very frank look of disbelief. He was staring down the corridor at Astoria's retreating figure with a look of affectionate exasperation, and Hermione could sense very strongly that he adored his wife. "As you may have noticed, Gra,- Ro-," he shook his head, "Hermione. My wife gets what she wants."

The meeting wasn't nearly as bad as she had feared. Perhaps the unexpected appearance of his wife had tempered his usual antagonistic response to Hermione and her life with the Avengers. He even looked vaguely sympathetic when she tightly admitted to separating herself from Steve and Lucy.

"So, do any of these new associates - the king and Spiderboy - do they require a secret-keeping contract?" Draco asked and Hermione shook her head.

"No, they're familiar with the Sorceress cover story and have no reason to believe there's a wider magical world."

"But you'll keep them under observation?"

"Yes, of course."

They went through the current signatories one by one, her heart aching with each loved one they talked about. Then they finished by going through the version of the Accords that Hermione had signed. Over two months had passed since the terms had come into effect, meaning they were able to evaluate how it was impacting on her use of magic so far, and they also tried to make a prediction over what might happen in the next few months.

"Look, you really don't have to come to lunch. I'll tell Tori that you're too busy," Draco said as their meeting drew to a close.

Hermione frowned. "Look, Draco, I know that we're not friends." He snorted softly at that. "And we probably never will be given our history, but I think I can manage to sit through a meal with you. Your wife really was so kind to me and she did seem pretty insistent. I don't want to upset her."

Draco shrugged. "Alright, but when she tries to make you her best friend don't say I didn't warn you."

Hermione laughed but didn't see that he wasn't joking.

"I remember Daphne Greengrass - she was in our year, wasn't she? Is Astoria her sister?" Hermione asked as they exited the office and began to make their way down to the atrium.

"Yes. Tori is a couple of years younger than us," he answered.

"She seems really sweet," Hermione said honestly.

"You sound surprised," he replied, smirking a little.

"No - " she denied quickly and then shrugged. "Well, yes, I am."

"You didn't think I'd have a pleasant wife?" he questioned.

"Not one that would be pleasant to me, no," she agreed.

He eyed her thoughtfully as they stepped into the lift. "I suppose that's a fair point. And she _seems_ really sweet because, quite frankly, she is. It's not an act - that's just how Tori is."

Hermione pondered this on the ride to the atrium because a small part of her _had_ wondered whether what she'd seen of Astoria Malfoy was genuine. Her manner was so fluffy and sugary with all her _darlings_ and radiant beauty, that an unkind person would think her a little absurd and fatuous. Hermione was not unkind, and therefore had found Astoria to be considerate and charming, if still a little unbelievable.

"I thought you'd marry someone from your own house - like Parkinson," Hermione commented as they crossed the floor towards the rows of fireplaces.

Draco shook his head sombrely. "No. Whenever I see Pansy or one of those other girls, I'm just taken back to those dark, dark days: of who I was and what I did, what we _all_ did..."

Hermione had not expected things to take such a serious turn and nor had she anticipated the self-hatred in his tone. What was more, she never would have predicted her instinct to comfort and reassure him. "You were all just children, Draco."

"As were you," he pointed out agitatedly. "I make no excuses for my actions and nor should _you_, of all people, try to find any. Hell - I've never even apologised to you, Granger." They both automatically halted, a lot of repressed feelings and memories swirling in the air between them. "I'm sorry," he choked out - two pink spots appearing on his cheeks. "I'm sorry for how I treated you at school. I, I was full of, of _hatred_ and jealousy, and you were everything I'd been taught to hate."

"_Taught_," she repeated, feeling quite affected by the emotion in his voice. "Didn't you hear yourself? You were conditioned to feel that way. I appreciate your apology about our school days and I accept it if it's genuine, but I've come to terms with what happened and I don't blame you anymore. I can't see how anyone in your position would have turned up at Hogwarts any differently. You weren't exactly alone in your actions and beliefs, were you?"

Draco let out a humourless laugh. "No. But you're wrong - I _could_ have been different. You think Tori was a Ravenclaw or Hufflepuff, don't you?" Hermione looked back at him, befuddled. "She's a Slytherin. She had the same sort of upbringing as me: she comes from a long line of purebloods and her parents are just as prejudiced about blood as mine, but she just rejected it."

Hermione stared at him in shock and then quickly gathered her thoughts to respond to the anguished man in front of her. "Well, she's an exceptional individual then," she spluttered, "because every other Slytherin was pretty much as horrible as you were. So there's no point comparing yourself to her, Draco, because it's only going to make you miserable."

"I don't compare," he said, shaking his head, "I aspire to be more like her. For years, I struggled to accept what had happened and what I did. I didn't know who I was anymore or where I was going. Then Tori came into my life and she was like a breath of fresh air. She was familiar and yet different. None of the stigmas of the past applied to her and she saw something in me that was worth loving, despite everything that I'd done. She's been helping me to come to terms with the past, encouraging me to grow. It's been a long process and it's still ongoing, but she's the reason that I've been able to say those words to you. I'm sorry, Hermione."

She was flabbergasted. A year ago, this man had been hellbent on sending her to prison and now he was pouring his heart out and seeking her forgiveness. Was this change all brought about by Astoria? It was astonishing. "I forgive you, Draco," she found herself saying and was surprised to find that she meant those words. She did consider herself to be a generally forgiving person, but Draco's treatment of her and others had been so cruel and relentless that she'd never expected them to reach a point of true peace. She knew that she and Draco would probably never see eye-to-eye on a lot of things, and would more than likely still argue frequently, but releasing that long-held pain and animosity felt incredibly cleansing. She could see the relief soaking through Draco, too.

"Thank you," he murmured, running a weary hand over his face. "That - that's more than I deserve." With heavy footsteps, he started to walk towards the fireplaces again.

A couple of minutes later, they were greeted by a beaming Astoria as they each stepped out of the fireplace of the Leaky Cauldron. "Oh, wonderful," she cried, clutching at Hermione's hands. "I'm so glad you could make it, darling. How was your meeting?"

"It was, um, good," Hermione said, a little overwhelmed by Astoria's enthusiastic welcome. She was also unsure how much Tori knew about the reason behind the meeting and was reluctant to reveal anything.

"Oh, excellent!" Astoria's smile widened and then she became more serious. "Draco wasn't horrid to you, was he? I know he's been awfully unkind to you before."

Hermione felt her cheeks redden slightly at the directness of Astoria's comment and she glanced over at Malfoy to see how he was reacting to his wife's words. Instead of looking irritated or ashamed, he was very calm, almost amused. "N-no, he wasn't - he was perfectly civil."

Astoria clasped her hands together in apparent joy and she sent her husband a look of adoration. "Wonderful! Now let's have some lunch," she said eagerly, looping her arm through Draco's and walking the three of them towards the bar. "Tom was just telling me that he recommends the lamb or the salmon today and I've been torn between them for the last ten minutes because they both sound positively delicious!"

Once they'd placed their orders, Astoria ushered them upstairs to their private room where a table was already set for them. "I thought it'd be best to keep out of the public eye in case some gossipy person spotted you two having lunch together and informed the _Prophet _or _Witch Weekly_," Astoria explained as she took a seat.

"Thank you," Hermione said. She was always keen to avoid any snooping into her life from the media - magical or muggle. "Privacy is very important to me."

"Oh, yes, darling, I'm quite aware," Astoria told her seriously. "And I'd never do anything to put that in jeopardy."

The solemnity of the promise took Hermione by surprise and Draco scoffed at the look on her face. "Much to my dismay, my wife's quite a fan of yours," he told her before raising his goblet to his lips.

Hermione raised her eyebrows in further disbelief at his comment. "A fan?" she repeated skeptically but when she glanced back at Astoria she saw clear admiration on the beautiful young woman's face.

"Don't sound so shocked, darling," Astoria said with a delighted giggle. "I know everyone else in Slytherin was blinded by house rivalry but that sort of thing never bothered me," she continued, waving a hand dismissively. "So why wouldn't I admire you? You were the cleverest witch in the school, didn't let any blood prejudices stand in your way and you dated that famous quidditch player!" She giggled again but then became more serious, "Then you helped Harry Potter defeat You-Know-Who and saved our _entire_ society! How could I not be a fan? And, of course, this was before your illustrious career as _the Sorceress_!"

Astoria fairly trembled with excitement as she uttered the name and the goblet of pumpkin juice in Hermione's hands jerked abruptly in response, sloshing some of the liquid onto her hand. She turned an accusatory gaze on Draco, extremely surprised that he would reveal her alter-ego to his wife when he was so concerned about secrecy in the magical world.

He seemed untroubled by her stare. "I didn't tell her," he denied, "Tori already had you sussed."

Hermione's eyes darted back to Astoria. "Well, I wasn't _completely_ sure," Astoria said and then shrugged her dainty shoulders. "I've always been interested in muggles," she admitted, her face taking on an impish grin. "I used to get into such trouble with mother and father when I was little because I was always sneaking out of our house to the local village so I could find out more about them. I wanted to take Muggle Studies at school, you know, but my parents absolutely forbid it. I just borrowed books from the library instead and still snuck out in the holidays whenever I could get away with it. So, when I graduated, I was free to explore my fascination with the muggle world as much as I wanted, and can you guess what the main headlines were all about those first few months?"

"The Avengers?" Hermione said faintly, additionally surprised with every revelation Astoria made.

The brunette nodded, eyes bright. "I was _so_ fascinated by these exceptional muggles and the amazing things they could do - everything I read and saw was just so thrilling! I had never considered that the rumoured Sorceress would be an actual witch until that strange incident in Greenwich a few years ago - and when I saw the news coverage of that and the world got their first glimpse of you, well, I just _knew_ that you were from our world."

As amazing as Astoria's story was, it still didn't explain how she'd figured out Hermione's identity.

"Like I said, darling, I didn't know for certain that it was you but, well, I'd spent enough years admiring you at school that those blurry photographs brought you to mind and, well, I asked one of my friends who worked at the Ministry about you and she found out that you were working abroad for a while, and it just fit." She shrugged her delicate shoulders again. "I never told anyone. I didn't want to get you into trouble or anything, darling, and after all, I wasn't sure that I was right."

"I - I see," Hermione responded, frowning. She recalled her panic about being revealed as the Sorceress after the events at Greenwich. So much had happened since then that she'd assumed she really had gotten away with it. Apparently, that was not the case.

"In truth," Draco said, drawing Hermione's attention back to him, "If I hadn't been in a relationship with Tori, I don't think I would have realised what those glimpses behind your lies would have meant when I bumped into you and Potter in the Ministry last year: Tori had told me all about the Avengers. When I'd done some digging around about you, I went to Tori to ask her what she thought about the possibility of you being the Sorceress." The married couple looked at each other and, for the first time since Hermione had met her, Astoria's demeanour truly became melancholy. But then she gave Draco a small, encouraging smile and nod as she reached her hand across the table to grasp his. "Tori didn't want to admit that it could be you," Draco said, eventually turning his serious gaze back to Hermione. "But I could see the truth in her eyes. She begged me not to do anything, attempted to point out the good that you and your friends were trying to do, but I could only see you breaking the fundamental law of magic and I was determined to see you face the consequences for it."

Hermione shifted uneasily. Draco might have apologised for his time at school but he hadn't shown any remorse for his relentless pursuit of herself and her friends.

"We, um, we actually took a break last year," Astoria said quietly. "I told Draco that he had to leave the pain and resentment of the past behind. Holding on to his jealousy of you and Potter from your school days was clouding his judgement and preventing him from being the good man I knew he could be."

Draco's jaw tensed. "I wasn't ready to see that Tori was right and so hearing those words, losing the woman I loved, well, I only blamed you more, didn't I? If I was suffering then I was going to take you and those you loved down too."

Hermione stared at him. She'd had absolutely no idea that this had been going on with Draco behind the scenes. She'd just assumed his vicious behaviour had been down to him, well, being Draco Malfoy. She realised that she'd grossly underestimated him and the complexities of his emotions. Despite their earlier conversation in the Ministry's Atrium, it was still staggering to hear him talking so openly and vulnerably to her about himself.

Draco cleared his throat. "After the trial, I was, er, I was broken. I'd lost the case, I'd lost Tori - all I had left was hatred and pain." Astoria brought his hand towards her lips and kissed it gently. "And then she came back and built me up again; forced me to see how the past was still infecting my life, and encouraged me to grow into a new man."

Hermione thought back on her time spent in Draco's presence since the outcome of the hearing. In the immediate aftermath, they had worked together quite closely to finalise the secret-keeper document and, from what she could recall, their exchanges had been succinct and business-like. Hermione had always been expecting snide or scathing remarks but now that she thought about it, none had been forthcoming. She realised that she had always come away from their conversations, like their earlier meeting, reflecting that he hadn't been as bad as she thought he was going to be. He was still Draco, still likely to scoff or smirk at something, but his comments had never crossed the line. And now, to see him in the last half an hour - it was a side to him that she'd never imagined he possessed and she was actually touched that he was comfortable enough to let her see it.

"And I'm happier now than I've ever been," he continued, gazing at his wife, and Tori kissed their joined hands again.

"That's really good to hear," Hermione told him. Their eyes connected and there was an unspoken understanding between them that the past - in all its forms - was finally being put to rest. "I'm pleased for you." And she was. She had never _wanted_ to hate him. It was actually reassuring to know that there was happiness out there in the world when everything around her had felt so bleak lately.

There was a knock on the door and their food arrived, effectively marking the end to that part of their conversation. Astoria was her bubbly self once more as she gushed about the food and then told them about her shopping expedition in Diagon Alley. "...and after that I went into Madam Malkin's to pick up the new robes I'd ordered," she said, which was the tenth store she'd visited by Hermione's estimation.

"Tori," Draco said, looking concerned. "Please tell me that was the last shop you visited today."

Hermione smiled, wondering if he was concerned about the number of galleons that had disappeared from his vault that morning.

Astoria cut her lamb with great poise and sent her husband a look of perfect innocence as she popped the bite into her mouth. As she chewed her meat, she silently held up three fingers in answer to his remark.

Draco shook his head. "Is there a shop you _didn't_ enter today?" he sighed. "You're going to wear yourself out - you're supposed to take things easy."

"I know, darling, I'm sorry," Astoria replied. "But I feel really good today."

"It's going to catch up with you later," Draco warned. "Make sure you rest when you get home."

"I will, I promise," she told him sincerely, and then looked at Hermione. "My health's rather delicate," she explained matter-of-factly. "It always has been."

"I'm sorry to hear that," Hermione told her genuinely.

Draco's face was grave as he regarded his wife but Astoria just smiled and shrugged. "Some days are good, some days are bad, but I try not to let it hold me back."

"The healers - can't they help?" Hermione asked.

"They do what they can," Astoria replied bracingly. "But, ah, it's a malignant blood curse, you see, so there's only so much they can do."

Hermione was in the process of slicing a tomato but paused in shock at Astoria's words.

"The curse has been dormant in the family for so many generations," Astoria continued, "it's awfully bad luck for it to resurface in me."

Astoria plowed onwards with her meal but Draco had also stopped eating. The young Mrs Malfoy was making light of her condition but the feeling Hermione was getting from Draco told her that it was much more serious than she was letting on. "Astoria," she began, "I - " She faltered, unsure what to say.

"Darling, it's fine, I've known about the curse for as far back as I can remember and I've long come to terms with it," Astoria said calmly. "It's one of the reasons why I'm the way I am: when my days are numbered, I don't have the time or patience for any hate or bitterness. I intend to fill each day of my life with love."

Hermione couldn't help but feel that Astoria Malfoy was one of the most incredible people she had ever met.

"That's a beautiful way to look at things," Hermione said softly, her heart breaking inside that this sweet, kind woman would eventually succumb to the curse she had been born with. "I only wish that everyone could live that way." She thought back on her last few weeks - on the tears and heartache that she had suffered, and wondered if she could learn from Astoria's example: she was apart from so many of those that she loved, but at least they were safe - she should take heart from that.

Astoria smiled and nodded at Hermione's plate. "Eat up, darling, otherwise your food will get cold."

As they finished their meals, Astoria happily told them about the last few shops she'd visited that morning. Hermione was still reeling from Astoria's revelations and her previously delicious lunch now tasted bland. Glancing over at Draco, she saw that he seemed to have lost his appetite as well and she couldn't blame him. She couldn't imagine how she'd feel in his shoes - to know that the person you loved above all others was dying. Hermione had feared for Steve's life on multiple occasions but she'd never had to live with the certainty that he would leave her at some point in the near future. She shivered involuntarily at the horrendous prospect.

"And _finally_," Astoria announced, placing her cutlery on her empty plate, "I popped into Gullivan's and got this for you." She reached down into her handbag and placed a familiar satin-lined box on the table, which she pushed towards Hermione. "I've got you your own stash!"

Hermione sighed at the sight of the chocolate box. "Tori, you really shouldn't have."

"But, darling, you really did look so sad and I don't know how else to help," Astoria replied, nudging the beautiful box even closer to her. "And I _really_ do want to help you."

Her eyes hovered around Hermione's face and she wondered how much Astoria knew about her private life. If she was such a big admirer of the Avengers then the fact that her surname was now Rogers might have been enough of a clue that she was married to Captain America even if Draco hadn't told her. The fallout from the Accords had been all over the news, too, so Astoria probably had some idea of part of what was troubling her. As much as she appreciated her kind intentions, Hermione honestly couldn't see how Astoria could help her situation. However, in light of the astonishing openness shown by both of the Malfoys, Hermione let her guard down and decided to let Astoria in - she could obviously keep a secret, after all.

As Hermione explained for the second time that day about Zemo's manipulations and their consequences, Astoria's lovely face grew more troubled.

"But, darling, now that your daughter is well enough, why don't you just bring your family back here?" Astoria asked. "No one will find them if you hide them in the magical world, will they?"

Hermione shook her head. "I've thought about it, believe me, but the current circumstances mean it's too risky."

"But why?" Astoria asked.

"Because my every move is being watched," Hermione told her. "To even step into the magical world today I had to tell the UN that I was going back to my childhood home to research some old family spells to cover any strange fluctuations that might crop up on my tracking bracelet. If I pretended that I was just bringing Lucy to the UK then Secretary Ross would ensure there was security on whatever house I managed to buy twenty-four hours a day in the off-chance that they could catch Captain America coming to see his daughter, whilst in actuality Steve would be forever trapped in that building. They might be far away and difficult to access in Wakanda, but at least they have some freedom to live."

Astoria looked troubled but Draco shook his head. "You surprise me," he said, eyeing her speculatively. "All those other times you've bent magical and muggle law to your will -"

"_Draco_," Astoria interrupted warningly.

"What?" he shrugged easily. "I'm not being hostile: we all know it's true. As a Slytherin, I can say the cunning and ambition it took to pull off all your manipulations of the law impresses me more than it annoys me now."

"Is that supposed to be a compliment?" Hermione asked wryly.

"If you want," he replied with another indifferent shrug. "Anyway, the point I was trying to make is that I don't see what's stopping you from using your abilities to abuse the systems once more. You used magic to get your husband and child out of that prison, why not do the same to bring them here? Keep the muggles believing your daughter is in Wakanda, set your family up in a remote village, cast some privacy wards and supply them with Polyjuice for whenever they want to go outside."

Hermione stared at him for a few moments and then she shook her head in disbelief. "Of all people, _you_ are really recommending that I do all of that?"

"I'm recommending nothing, let's be very clear on that in case it ever comes up in a court of law," he said, raising an eyebrow. "I'm merely expressing my surprise that, knowing what lengths you've gone to before, you're not doing those things now."

Hermione took a deep breath. "Because the stakes are even higher if I get caught: Steve would be incarcerated, the muggles wouldn't be able to contain me but the Confederation might choose to have me imprisoned after my close call last time, and my extremely gifted daughter would be taken away from her parents and put in the care of people who see her as a dangerous science experiment."

Draco held her gaze for a moment. "Then don't get caught," he countered simply.

Hermione scoffed. "Thanks for the stellar advice."

Astoria suddenly gasped and covered her mouth, her eyes wide and bright. "I've just had the _most brilliant_ idea," she told them excitedly, motioning with her hands to emphasise her point.

Draco chuckled at his wife's animated demeanour. "Really?"

Astoria nodded eagerly. "Salter House," she supplied, as though that should provide enough of an explanation. To Hermione it meant nothing, but Draco's gentle amusement faded rapidly.

"What about it?" he asked warily, sitting up straighter in his chair.

"Well, darling, no one's using it, are they? And it's in a remote location and well-protected, like you said," Astoria explained feverishly and Hermione thought she was beginning to see what was being suggested.

Draco was now frowning. "Tori, I don't think," he began but she turned to Hermione.

"Salter House was left to me by my late Great-Aunt but I haven't used it since Draco and I got our own place," Astoria told her and her face broke out into that brilliant smile again. "Hermione, darling - your family can live there!"

* * *

A/N I'd be interested to know your thoughts on this one. I'm aware that Malfoy has not been popular in this series (and rightly so) but it was interesting to explore the reasons behind his actions during Age of Ultron. I also liked showing a different kind of Slytherin in the form of Astoria Greengrass. I've been on something of a crusade showing an alternative side to Slytherins in some of my fics on my other account (particularly Attitude).

I appreciate that this was a slight divergence to the lead up to Infinity War but I assure that it's all relevant. We'll be getting back to more typical Sorceress business next time.

Anyway, let me know that you're all keeping safe and healthy. It's such a scary world at the moment.

Lots of love,

Lil Drop of Magic


	6. Chapter 6

A/N: Hi guys! Thanks for all the support. I'm so pleased that Tori got such lovely feedback last time.

* * *

It had been six months since she'd last stood in the living quarters that she and Steve had called home. In the wake of her break with Tony, the two of them had consciously kept out of each other's way: she had retreated to Avengers Tower; he went to the facility in Upstate New York. She had wanted to reach out to him every day since Siberia, but she had vowed to herself to respect his wish for distance even though it tore at her heart to do so. But today they would speak. They had to. Otherwise everything they'd been working on for the last few years would have been for nothing.

Hermione took a couple more minutes to let her eyes travel over the rooms where she and Steve had begun their journey as a married couple. Everything was exactly as they had left it before their flight to meet the UN about the Accords but she'd known nothing would have changed: their quarters had been sealed through both muggle and magical means on their departure. Yet so much had changed for her since she had last been able to look around at all the memories that adorned their rooms and feel the warmth of the sunlight as it reflected off the surface of the lake. She took a moment to open Steve's wardrobe and ran her fingers along the fabric of the clothes within, smiling at the familiar scent of him despite the ache in her chest. Would he ever be able to come back here?

She re-sealed the door as she left and tried to ignore the clenching in her gut as she travelled the familiar path to the conference room. They could have easily met in the more relaxed setting of the communal area given the small number of people attending, but Hermione didn't feel that the tone of the meeting was quite right for lounging on sofas and armchairs.

Rhodey was already sitting waiting for her in the conference room and the sight of him helped ease her anxiety a little.

"What's up, Honeybee?" he greeted warmly when she entered the room. She smiled at the term he used for her, founded as a result of his phone autocorrecting her name a few months back. He stood and they embraced, and then he pulled back to view her. "You're looking well," he complimented her, looking pleased.

"Thanks."

Rhodey nodded. "I'm glad that Nepal has turned out to be the real deal for you - I thought it all looked a bit bogus, to be honest."

Hermione shrugged. "I've already told you - I think that was the point. The Masters only showed you what you expected to see so that you could report back to the UN that it was safe for me to base myself out there for a while. If Ross really knew what the students of Kamar-Taj are capable of, he would be terrified of the 'so-called' threat he would assume they pose."

He raised his brows in surprise. "And here I thought you were just doing lots of meditating and finding inner peace. What did I miss?"

Hermione smirked and wondered where to begin, but then she noticed that Vision and Tony were approaching. Her eyes met Tony's through the glass wall and her former unease instantly returned to twist her gut painfully.

Rhodey noticed the abrupt change in her demeanour and glanced over his shoulder to see what had caused it. He turned back to her with a knowing expression and squeezed her arm supportively. "All right, Bee, you've got this," he told her quietly as the door swung open again. "It's been a long time coming and now, hopefully, we can all move on."

Hermione nodded stiffly, her eyes still fixed on Tony. She swallowed with difficulty and tried to adopt a relaxed and pleasant expression, but her body wasn't responding to her wishes.

"Hermione, it's good to see you here again," Vision said, momentarily taking her focus away from Tony. "I trust that you are keeping well."

"Yes, thank you, Vision," she replied, inclining her head at him, aware that Tony and Rhodey were greeting each other next to her. "And I hope all's well with you too."

"I can't complain," he said politely before turning to Rhodey.

Hermione took a moment to gather herself before she looked at Tony again. She could feel his gaze boring into her and she forced herself to meet it. When their eyes met this time, her heart clenched at the absence of warmth and affection that she was accustomed to feeling from him, of the lost friendship of someone who was so very dear to her and always would be. There was no hatred in his gaze, no deep anguish - but there was still pain. She wasn't surprised and it cut her deeply, but somehow that was better than him treating her with indifference. It showed that he hadn't completely thrown away their connection - there was something there that she might be able to salvage.

"Rogers," Tony greeted tightly, his eyes scanning her face. Rhodey bumped into him as he made his way to his seat and muttered a quick apology. Tony shot his friend a quick look before refocusing on her. "Hermione," he said a bit more cordially.

"Tony," she said softly. There was so much that she wanted to say to him but she didn't think that he wanted to hear it. So instead she said, "Thank you for agreeing to have this meeting."

He shrugged and undid the button of his suit jacket before taking a seat. "This is what we do, right? It's our job to talk about these things. I take it you've found out something important."

"Yes, I have," she said seriously, moving round the table to take a seat of her own. "And I'll get straight to the point - I've found another Infinity Stone."

Understandably, all three of them looked surprised. Tony leant across the table towards her. "What? Here on Earth?"

She nodded. "Yes. From what I've been told, it's been here for thousands of years."

"Have you got it with you?" Rhodey asked, his eyes scanning her over as if trying to spot it.

She shook her head. "No. It's still safe where I found it."

"And where's that?" Tony questioned.

"Nepal," she replied.

"Ah," Rhodey said with the beginning of comprehension.

Tony glanced at him and then back to Hermione. "Nepal?" he repeated.

She nodded. "It's been in the custody of the Masters of the Mystic Arts for centuries."

"Ahhh," Rhodey said again. "Well, that definitely wasn't on my grand tour of the compound," he said, sharing a look of amusement with Hermione.

"You've heard of these Masters?" Vision asked him.

"Yeah, but only because Hermione put in a request to the UN's Security Council to study with them," Rhodey explained. "Ross sent me over to Kathmandu to check that she wasn't up to anything duplicitous. It looked like what I would expect a remote, Himalayan 'house of wisdom' to be like - killer views, of course."

Hermione smiled. He wasn't wrong: the views of the mountains from Kamar-Taj were breathtaking.

"But I take it you _were_ being duplicitous," Tony said, and Hermione hoped that she was imagining a note of accusation in his voice. Either way, her smile vanished at once and her shoulders tensed defensively. "I'm guessing it wasn't just a normal 'house of wisdom', was it?"

Rhodey frowned. "Tony - Ross didn't give a damn about what she was studying: he sent me out there to look for any sign of Cap. And in case you were wondering, there wasn't any: not that first trip, not the two random drop-ins I did, nor on the security cameras Ross had set up on all the exits. So, no, Hermione wasn't guilty of anything deceitful in Nepal."

Hermmione sent Rhodey a grateful smile and Tony shifted awkwardly in his seat. "I wasn't implying..." he muttered.

"It's OK. You weren't exactly far off the mark," Hermione admitted quietly, her insides writhing a little as she looked at Tony. "Omission is familiar territory for me, right?" His mouth tightened at her words but she continued, "And Kamar-Taj _is_ more than what it seems."

"The Mystic Arts," Vision said, "What exactly does that involve?"

"Well, put simply, it's a different branch of magic," she said. "One that muggles can access." She could see that they were all very intrigued.

"And when you say muggle magic, we're not talking about card tricks or pulling rabbits out of hats, are we?" Tony asked.

"No," she answered. "This is the real deal."

"And you've known about this place the whole time?" Vision asked.

She shook her head. "No, I had no idea. As far as I'm aware, my magical community has no clue about what is taught at Kamar-Taj. The Masters have kept themselves extremely well hidden."

"But how did you find out about them?" Vision questioned.

"I didn't find them," she revealed. "They found me…"

_Hermione looked along the table at the assembled department heads of the Aid Relief wing of Stranger Enterprises. "The World Health Organization is fast tracking all tests on the pharmaceuticals that have come out of last month's trip to Wakanda. If all goes well, they will be made available for use by the end of the calendar year. I want to hit the ground running with this, Alison. You've got the list of medicines being trialled so I want to see a new report every two weeks of where in the world each of those drugs is going to be most needed, and plans for how they can be administered most effectively."_

_The bespectacled woman halfway down the table nodded and made a note on her tablet. "Sure thing, Hermione." _

"_Alright, that's it for today," Hermione told the men and women before her. "Thank you for all of your hard work, as always." _

_The room was filled with the sound of chairs scraping backwards and muttered farewells as her employees departed. Hermione was easily the youngest amongst them but she liked to hope that any initial qualms her staff may have had about working under her had been swept away over the last couple of years. _

"_Hermione Rogers," a soft voice spoke behind her. Hermione paused in collecting her possessions, instantly alert with her magic at her fingertips because something felt off. When she turned to see a hooded figure in loose, yellow robes that were most unlike those worn in the wizarding world, her unease wasn't diminished. The figure lowered their hood and Hermione felt something indescribable sweep down her spine as her eyes met those of her visitor. The pale figure's appearance would be quite startling on its own due to a completely bald head and dark, mystic eyes, but the aura they were giving off was quite unlike anything Hermione had ever experienced before. The stranger smiled. "I have long looked forward to this day." _

_Hermione still wasn't reassured._

_The visitor (whom Hermione believed to be a woman) sensed this because she smiled and said amiably, "I understand your caution but I do not intend you any harm - if I did, I would have done so whilst your back was turned, wouldn't I?" _

"_Then why have you come here?" Hermione asked, still keeping her magic on alert just in case. "Who are you?" _

_The stranger frowned lightly. "I wonder if it might be easier to show you," she said conversationally and looked to Hermione for her opinion._

"_Er, yes, all right," she agreed cautiously. _

_The strange woman smiled again and then made a sharp vertical motion with her hands moving in opposite directions. A thin, glowing line appeared in the air between them. The stranger moved her hands again and more fiery patterns grew from the first line until a complicated shape was created. Hermione stared at it, the energy projecting from the glowing symbols making her skin tingle pleasantly. She reached her fingers upwards and, after an encouraging nod from the other woman, moved her hand closer to the projection. Despite the way that it glowed and crackled, it gave off no heat. Just as her fingers were about to pass through it, the stranger made another motion and the air between the connected symbols became translucent and Hermione's hand met a solid force, like a shield. The stranger pushed the projection forwards slightly and the strength of the barrier forced Hermione to take a couple of steps back. With another wave of a hand, the glowing symbols fizzled away into nothingness. _

"_That - that was amazing," Hermione admitted. "I've never seen technology like that."_

"_It wasn't technology. It does draw on energy but not in the way that you think." _

_Hermione shook her head. "I don't understand." _

"_And yet you are able to achieve impressive feats the same way," the stranger told her, confusing Hermione further until she clarified, "through spells."_

_Hermione gasped. "It's magic?"_

"_Yes," she smiled. _

"_But I've never seen anything like that," Hermione said, frowning. There had been no wand, no incantation. Then she realised that this woman knew that she was the Sorceress and her wariness returned once more. "Why are you here? How do you know about me?" _

"_Hermione, I told you I have been looking forward to our meeting for a long time. I've known about you since before you were born - long before even your grandparents were born," the stranger told her, making her feel as though her stomach had dropped away. "To those I teach, I am known as the Ancient One or the Sorceress Supreme, and that is why I am here: to offer you the opportunity to discover what more you are capable of." _

_Hermione's mind was trying to process the astonishing, _crazy _words that she'd just heard. "S-Sorceress Supreme?" she stuttered and the Ancient One smiled._

"_I don't mind sharing part of my title with you," she said. "I think you've more than earned it." _

"_You don't consider yourself to be a," she hesitated, not liking to use the word outside the world she was so protective of, "a witch?" _

"_No, I am not like you in that way," the Ancient One revealed, making Hermione's heart hammer in her chest. "I do not have the ability to perform your spells." _

"_But you think I can master yours?" Hermione asked eagerly._

_The Ancient One nodded. "Anyone with belief and discipline can master the Mystic Arts, but I warn you, you will not find it easy: it will require you unlearning so much of what you already think you know." _

"_About what?"_

"_About the universe; about yourself; about what is possible…"_

Tony was frowning at her. "So this random woman breaks into your office, makes some pretty lights, says some very crazy things, and you hightail it to Nepal at the first opportunity?"

"Not quite," Hermione said. "I was definitely intrigued, but I also had a lot of reservations because of my commitments to Stranger Enterprises, the UN and the fight against Thanos. But after thinking about it for a while, I realised that any new skills that I could use to stop him, new allies I could bring to the fight, would be worth it. So I submitted my request to the Security Council and I'm now working around my studies so that nothing suffers in my absence."

"You can do some of this new type of magic?" Vision asked.

Hermione nodded. Her first few days in Kamar-Taj had been as frustrating as the Ancient One had predicted. Opening her mind to the concept of infinite universes, powers older than time itself and drawing energy from other dimensions of the Multiverse to create spells. It was simply a matter of belief and perseverance. She studied hard, absorbing as much from the ancient texts as she could, but it wasn't until she saw the Sling Rings being used for the first time (and realised the possibilities they presented for her) that her desire to succeed really set in. Within two hours of seeing the glowing rings, she successfully cast her first spell and had progressed rapidly ever since. "I would show you but that's not why we're here. Last week, the Ancient One showed me one of their ancient relics: the Eye of Agomotto."

"A Stone?" Tony asked.

Hermione nodded. "The time stone."

"_Time_?" Rhodey repeated, looking troubled. "And does it do what I think it does?"

"Yes," she said grimly. "The Ancient One told me that the Eye can manipulate the Stone to modify the flow of time, but," she added quickly at the alarmed faces, "using it is forbidden. The Masters don't go against the natural order of things."

"That's not overly reassuring," Tony muttered. "We're talking about powerful sorcerers capable of changing time. That's not safe."

"Tony, I told you, it's been safely under the protection of the Masters for centuries," Hermione pointed out. "Let's face it - they've done a better job at keeping people safe than we have."

His lips slid into a momentary scowl. "Touché," he muttered.

"If I'm not mistaken," Vision said, "That means the whereabouts of five of the Infinity Stones are known to us."

"Yes," Hermione agreed. "The Power Stone is on Xandar, the Space Stone is enclosed within the Tesseract on Asgard, the Aether - the Reality Stone - is on Knowhere and the Time Stone joins the Mind Stone here on Earth," she finished, her eyes straying to the yellow glow set in Vision's forehead. "The Masters already knew about the existence of the Stones but not what had become of them - except the Time Stone, of course."

"The sixth Stone," Tony said, "What is its power?"

"It's called the Soul Stone," she revealed. "Alleged to be capable of manipulating the soul and conjuring up spiritual representations of the dead." To her, it sounded like a horrible mix of the Imperius Curse and the Resurrection Stone, and she couldn't repress a shiver.

"That's… dark," Rhodey murmured. "Thank God that one hasn't reared its ugly, haunted head."

Tony rubbed at his chin, looking pensive. "Now we know what it's called and what it does, maybe we should pass it onto Thor - ask him to try and track it down."

"Are you sure that's a good idea?" Rhodey asked. "Normally when someone gets their hands on one of the Stones there's chaos. If it's hidden away somewhere then maybe that's safer."

"I agree, but what if someone with bad intentions gets it?" Tony posed. "I'd rather it was in our hands than some psycho who's going to be playing with our souls and raising armies of ghosts."

"Someone like Thanos?" Vision asked.

Tony shrugged. "He's got history with the Stones, hasn't he? But if the last few years have proved anything, he's not the only whackjob out there."

"I've tried to contact Thor," Hermione said, earning her a surprised look from Tony.

"You thought the same as me?"

"Not exactly," she answered. "I wanted to warn him about its capabilities in case it followed the trend of the other Stones and made an unwanted appearance. I've tried communicating with Asgard but there's been no response. However, I had more success with the Benatar - I thought they should be warned too."

"The Benatar?" Rhodey asked.

"My Guardians," Hermione explained, a small smile tugging at her lips…

_Hermione held the device high in the Nepalese air. She doubted that it would make any difference to her attempts to link with the Benatar but she was at the end of her tether. Theoretically, the communication device should work across all reaches of the galaxy but it was becoming increasingly temperamental. Perhaps it was in need of repair._

"_Yo, what's up, Granger?" Peter Quill's voice suddenly sounded from the device above her head. "Wait - where are you?" _

_Hermione quickly brought the screen down to her face and felt a ripple of contentment at the sight of him peering at her. "I'm here - sorry. How are you? It's been a long time." And it had been. Hermione remembered speaking with her friends not long after her trial in front of the Confederation, and then once more a few months later where she'd heard all about their encounter with Quill's father, Ego. But nearly a year had passed since then - she hadn't even known she was pregnant the last time they'd all talked. _

"_Yeah, it has, but we're all good," Quill said cheerfully, as he kept half an eye on the controls of the ship. "No major life-threatening escapades for a while, just a couple of minor ones." _

_Hermione smiled. "And was Rocket to blame?" _

"_What do you think?" Quill scoffed and Hermione laughed._

"_Why are my ears burning?" a familiar voice called off-screen._

"_Because you've got cyber-fleas," Quill claimed before Rocket came into view._

"_No I ain't," the raccoon retorted gruffly and then he caught sight of Hermione. "Who's the broad?" _

_Hermione rolled her eyes. _

"_Really?" Quill asked impatiently. "Isn't this getting a little old now?"_

"_What?" Rocket shrugged. "I don't recall ever seeing her before - I have a short memory." _

"_We both know that's a crock of shit," Quill said. "You don't forget a thing."_

"_So if I _have_ met this humie before," Rocket continued, ignoring Quill, "it was so long ago that it's like it never happened; like someone deserted us and never looked back."_

_Hermione would be touched at Rocket's weird but familiar expression of missing her if he wasn't being a bit of an asshole about it. "I'm sorry, Rocket. I'll try and get in touch more often." _

"_You think I just want to see your face?" Rocket asked and then burst into laughter. "That's hilarious! You always were too sentimental."_

"_Remember me now, do you?" Hermione said wryly._

"_Certain things are coming back to me," he agreed with a sniff, "Like how you had magic powers that would make any job in the galaxy a piece of cake to pull off. Now _that_ would be worth having round here instead of most of these other idiots." _

"_Jackass," Quill muttered as he made an adjustment to the Benatar's controls. _

"_So, how about it, Granger? Fancy rejoining your abandoned team for a little bit of fun? I'm sure we could make it worth your while if we find the right mark," Rocket suggested._

"_As appealing as you make it sound to be back in your company, Rocket, it has to be a no, I'm afraid," she answered with little sensitivity. "I have a life here - family who need me." _

_Rocket waved a dismissive paw. "You can leave them for a year or two, can't you? They're not going to miss you."_

"_No, Rocket," Hermione said firmly._

_He made a disgruntled noise and left the cockpit, muttering to himself about 'selfish witches'. _

"_Sorry about him," Quill said, "You know how he gets when he hasn't been able to blow something up for a while." _

"_Oh, I remember," she replied with a sigh. _

"_So, how's tricks?" he asked amiably. "Anything interesting happened on my home planet recently? Is there a new dance move?" _

_Hermione briefly considered trying to explain meme culture to him and how dance trends popped up all over the place, but she didn't really know where to begin. She settled, instead, for showing him how to dab. _

"_Oh, yeah," Quill murmured, striking the required pose a few times. "This is a real power move." He tried it with his arms pointing in the other direction. "I wonder if I have a better side. Hey, Gamora," he called, "What do you think?" Hermione saw her sister climb into the cockpit, watching Quill with a confused expression. "Which way looks better?" He demonstrated dabbing to his left and right and looked at Gamora expectantly. _

"_What exactly am I looking at, Peter?" she asked eventually, with a touch of weary amusement. _

_Quill nodded his head in Hermione's direction. "New dance move from home." _

_Gamora smiled at the sight of her sister and walked past Quill's continued posing. "Hermione," she said warmly, "it's so good to see you, sister. We miss you."_

"_I miss you all too." _

_Gamora held up a pausing hand. "Hang on, I'll be right back, you'll want to see this." _

_Hermione waited curiously for a few seconds and then Gamora returned to the cockpit with Groot in tow. Hermione gasped when she saw how he had grown to a height nearing Gamora's waist. _

"_See, here she is, Groot," Gamora said, indicating the screen. "I told you."_

"_Groot - you've gotten so big!" Hermione exclaimed as he paused in his cheerful waving to clamber onto the co-pilot chair to see her better. _

"_I am Groot," he said, taking a breath and standing as straight as a rod to show off his height._

"_I can see," she agreed. "Definitely not a baby anymore." _

_He looked at her proudly. "I am Groot." He ducked out of sight for a second and there was suddenly the familiar sound of music being played in the Benatar. Groot shuffled back into view, grooving to the beat of the funky song._

_Hermione laughed as he waved his arms above his head and jumped up and down. "Look at you go!"_

"_Ooh, good song choice," Quill called, coming back into view and similarly strutting his stuff. "_Do you remember,"_ he sang along with the music, "_the twenty-first night of September?"

_Quill shuffled his way over to Gamora, obviously keen to get her involved as _Earth, Wind and Fire's 'September' _continued to blast out. Gamora's previously stern expression at Quill's antics dissolved into a grin and she let him lead her in a few moves. _

"_Granger, you better be shaking that butt right now," Quill called out to her as they built up to the first chorus. _

_Hermione glanced around at her surroundings amid the grounds of Kamar-Taj, only just realising that the music was disrupting the peace and tranquility normally favoured in the compound. "Errr, hang on," she called. She'd walked out of her room onto the long veranda in pursuit of a connection, but she hurried back to the lodgings and quickly cast a couple of wards so that she wouldn't disturb the other students at Kamar-Taj. _

"Ba de ya, say do you remember," _Quill sang, twirling Gamora under his arm, "_Ba de ya, dancing in September."

"Ba de ya, never was a cloudy day!" _Hermione joined in with a grin, levitating the communication device so that she could relive her time on the Benatar by having a good dance and momentarily forgetting her worries. Quill cheered when he saw her dancing and then he showed Groot how to dab so that they could do it in time with the music. By the time the song had ended, Hermione's cheeks ached from the amount of smiling she had done._

"_Thank you, Groot," Hermione said a little breathlessly. "I needed that."_

"_I am Groot."_

"_No, I don't dance very often," she answered, taking a seat at her desk. "I don't really have the time. Things are…" she hesitated, "busy and a little strained here." _

"_What's going on?" Gamora asked in concern._

"_That would take a while to explain," Hermione replied. "And maybe I will another time but, er, there's actually something that I want to talk to you about alone." She looked a little guiltily at Quill, not wanting to force him or Groot out of the conversation, but he didn't look particularly upset._

"_Come on Groot," he said, beckoning to the little tree, "Let's teach Mantis our new dance."_

_Groot waved at Hermione and then jumped down from the seat to follow Quill._

_Once they were gone, Hermione told her sister about the discovery of the Time Stone and her new knowledge of the sixth Stone. "So I wanted you to know what you could be up against if it's discovered."_

_Gamora's face was carefully devoid of emotion. Hermione wondered if her sister also associated the Stones with Thanos. Neither liked talking about him and it was therefore understandable why her sister was so stony. _

_The sisters were silently lost in their own thoughts for a few moments until Hermione had to ask, "Have you any idea what Thanos is plotting next? I've been doing everything I can think of to try and get Earth ready in case he attacks. I can feel in my bones that it's only a matter of time - that he'll want revenge on me and the planet that has defied him before. Stopping him is my top priority," she admitted and then, despite her earlier words about postponing a description of her troubles, she found herself telling Gamora all about the Accords and her self-inflicted separation from her family. "I don't think anybody else really understands why I'm doing it," she admitted tearfully. "Why I'm going to do whatever it takes to stop my worst nightmare coming true no matter how much it costs me." _

"_I know," Gamora told her softly. "I saw how much losing everything had broken you. How you had to become someone else to just survive and live to fight another day. It's OK, Hermione."_

_Hermione wiped at her eyes and sniffed loudly. "Thank you, sister." _

_Gamora looked at her contemplatively and then she leaned forward in the co-pilot's seat. "You _know_ what Thanos's end goal is."_

_Hermione shook her head. "I _don't_," she denied. "He's just a megalomaniac that wants to wipe out half the galaxy," she said, throwing out the familiar phrases._

"_Literally, Hermione," Gamora stressed. "He _literally_ wants to destroy half of all life in the universe. It's not just an expression." _

"_What?" she gasped. _

_Gamora painfully explained about Thanos's attack on her home world, and his long obsession with bringing balance to the universe. _

"_But- but that's _insane_," Hermione insisted. "He can't possibly hope to achieve that." _

"_He can," Gamora explained, "With the combined power of the Infinity Stones." _

_Hermione's mind felt like it was buzzing as it tried to take in the concept. "H-he wants them all?" she stuttered, and if she hadn't already been sat on the bed she knew she would have collapsed onto it. "He'd be unstoppable..." _

_The grave expression on Gamora's face showed that this was true. _

"_Oh God," Hermione groaned, hiding her face in her hands, "oh God, oh God." She could feel some sort of panic taking over her._

"_Hermione," Gamora said firmly, "it's not going to happen." _

"_Five Stones are already out there," Hermione stated breathlessly, looking at her sister, "if the whereabouts of the Soul Stone is discovered - "_

"_Hermione," Gamora said sharply. "Thanos _won't_ find the Soul Stone."_

_Gamora's meaningful look was lost on Hermione. "How can you know that? It could be anywhere. All these other Stones have popped out of obscurity in the last few years. This one will surely follow."_

"_Stop panicking and listen to me," Gamora snapped. The harshness of the tone finally broke through Hermione's panic and she did as told. Gamora glanced around the cockpit and pulled the screen closer so the chance of them being overheard was reduced even further. "When Thanos first began his quest to discover the Stones, he entrusted the search for the Soul Stone to me."_

_Hermione let out a ragged breath. "You couldn't find it," she deduced but at her sister's poignant stare she clutched a hand to her heart. "You found it?" _

"_After a long and seemingly endless search, I found the only map revealing its location," Gamora admitted tightly._

"_You know where Soul Stone is?" Hermione asked faintly, feeling lightheaded. _

_Gamora nodded. "But I burnt the map and told Thanos that I had been unsuccessful with my search." _

"_He doesn't know about the map you saw?" _

"_No."_

"_Does anyone else?" _

_Gamora paused. "Nebula." _

_Hermione groaned at the sound of their sister's name. "_Nebula_?! Nebula knows?"_

"_She isn't going to tell Thanos - I think she loathes him more than either of us do," Gamora revealed but Hermione wasn't particularly reassured. "She's not as bad as when you knew her: she's mellowed somewhat, and helped us on more than one occasion. Look," she continued at Hermione's skeptical expression, "the point is that Thanos isn't going to get the Soul Stone. He's never going to be aware that I know and even if he did, I would _die_ before revealing its location, Hermione. I promise you."_

_Hermione stared into her sister's intense gaze. After a few seconds, she nodded, accepting Gamora's vow. _

"_After his failed exploits with the Stones in the past, I don't think he'll make another move for them unless he's confident he can get them all," Gamora told her. "You and I both know that hardly makes him any less dangerous, but I'm telling you about his inability to acquire the Soul Stone because I don't want you to miss out on living your life in fear of something that might never come to pass. He knows Earth is well protected and those two Stones will give him pause for thought. An attack on Earth would be no small feat even for Thanos. So make whatever preparations you can, Hermione, but don't forget to enjoy the life you thought was gone for good..."_

Hermione saw echoes of her own reaction on the horrified faces of the three men after she revealed Thanos's desire to collect the Stones and the purpose behind it.

"But before you panic like I did, apparently Thanos's attempts to locate the Soul Stone have yielded no results," Hermione told them. In order to keep it hidden from Thanos, Hermione had promised Gamora not to tell anyone that she'd memorised the location of the Soul Stone. Hermione hated to think what he would do to Gamora to try and make her reveal the truth. "It's truly lost."

"Well, that's something," Tony muttered. "But we can't afford to believe that's always going to be the case. We need to plan for the worst case scenario - that Thanos is going to come here for those two Stones."

Hermione nodded. "That's why I called us together. Now we know what his ultimate aim is, it makes it easier to put a fight back in place." She looked sympathetically at Vision. Hearing that a genocidal warlord wanted to rip the Stone from his head must be deeply disconcerting.

"Let's start with the Time Stone," Rhodey suggested, also throwing a concerned look Vision's way before refocusing on Hermione. "How do you rate its current protection should Thanos show up?"

Hermione frowned. "Personally, I don't think it's anywhere near enough. I told the Ancient One about Thanos's aim, and I know she understands the seriousness of the threat, but she didn't seem willing to discuss the possibility of the Stone being taken out of their possession even to help defend it. The Masters of the Mystic Arts pledge their lives to defending what lies within the Sanctums and they are trained in combat, but the eye of Agomotto spends most of its time on a plinth in the library," she revealed, the frustration evident in her voice. "So, I have a few spells of my own that I'm going to request to put in place to help protect the Stone that don't involve removing it from Kamar-Taj. That's the best I can do for now but I'll keep lobbying for more."

"Right," Tony nodded, "Yeah, you keep badgering those wizards - if you can't persuade them to hand over the Stone then I don't know who could."

"But what would you propose we do with it should it come into our possession?" Vision enquired.

"Surely the failsafe way to stop Thanos from getting his hands on it would be to destroy it," Rhodey pointed out. "He can't add it to his rock collection if it doesn't exist anymore, can he? Do you think it could be done?" he asked Hermione.

"I've already thought of that," she said. "And even if we just put to one side the immense energy surge that would no doubt be created from destroying such a powerful object, I'm not sure it would actually do what we intend."

Tony frowned. "What do you mean?"

"They're always talked of as Stones - solid objects. But the Reality Stone currently exists as the Aether," she reminded them. "A fluid."

"You think someone already tried to destroy it when it was a Stone and the Aether was the result," Rhodey posed.

"It's certainly possible," Hermione agreed. "What's more - Thor and I attempted to destroy the Aether. Our efforts only temporarily shattered the fluid before it reformed once more."

"So breaking the physical form of the Stone doesn't destroy its properties," Tony mused.

"No," she said. "And it might only release something worse."

"Huh," Rhodey muttered, "So, destroying the Stones is out - what else have we got?"

They stayed in the conference room for another hour mooting different possibilities with various degrees of hope until their brains felt like they'd been temporarily exhausted.

"Well, now begs the question of what we tell Secretary Ross and our overseers at the UN," Vision said.

Hermione glanced at the others apprehensively. They knew that it was in her nature to keep things close to her chest, but that was no longer in her control once she had shared her knowledge with those around the table.

"The key point to any defences or plans we implement is that they succeed," Rhodey said eventually. "At the end of the day, we all know our job is to keep the people safe. If sharing too much compromises the success of those safeguards then we've already failed." Hermione tried to imagine the consequences of informing Ross about Thanos's intent, the Time Stone and the true abilities of the people at Kamar-Taj, and she barely suppressed a shudder.

"OK, but if we take that path and the worst happens," Tony said, his voice faltering slightly, "then the sole blame falls on us: the fight against Thanos lived and died with us. We signed a document six months ago that said we didn't have the power to do that anymore." The tension in the room was palpable as Tony's gaze lingered on them in turn. "We need to be sure of what exactly we're agreeing to here."

It was decided that the four of them would request to sit before a UN panel so that they would all know exactly what information was being parted. They would only provide minimal details of the threat posed and give reassurances that suitable security measures were being put into place, again without offering any significant details which they planned to justify so that those procedures wouldn't be compromised (and the society at Kamar-Taj would be protected).

"God, I need a drink," Tony groaned, running a hand down his haggard face.

"Seconded," Rhodey agreed. He got to his feet and stretched his arms high above his head. "I'll get them. You want anything, Bee?" Hermione shook her head. "Vision?"

"No," he replied, also rising. "But if you'll excuse me, I feel the urge to spend some time on my own, to process my thoughts about all that we have discussed." He nodded at Tony and Hermione in farewell and then led the way from the room, Rhodey shutting the door behind them with a definitive click.

Tony frowned at the door. "Subtle, Rhodey," he muttered.

The two of them sat in silence for a few moments. Hermione was twisting her fingers in her lap, trying to think of what would be best to say. Eventually she said, "I saw about you and Pepper. Congratulations."

"Thanks," he replied, pocketing the sunglasses he'd been fiddling with. "It's been a long time coming, right?"

Hermione smiled tightly. She hated the air of awkwardness between them and she could bear it no longer. "Tony, I'm - "

He cut off her desperate words. "I know," he said shortly but the look in his eyes said much more. "Me too."

She drew in a ragged breath, tears prickling at her eyes at the memory of the broken man she'd left behind in Siberia. "We should have told you the truth," she said, the words bursting out like they'd been released from a dam. He sat rigidly in his seat. She knew he probably didn't want to hear what she had to say but she couldn't stop herself. "Family don't keep secrets from each other and what I did, what I kept from you - though I thought it was well-intended - it was actually selfish and not what you deserved from someone that loves you. I'm so sorry, Tony."

How she didn't cry, she didn't know. The tears were there, her voice wobbled with emotion, but she made sure that her message was heard. She'd been carrying her guilt with her for six months and although she didn't expect Tony to forgive her for the way that she had betrayed him again (and so personally this time) to finally say the words was a release in itself.

Tony let out a quick, low breath and shook his head. "God, I wanted this to be over," he told her, motioning between them. "Lying in that desolate place, I told myself that that was us done. You were out of my life and that was better for _both_ of us. Snip, snip," he made a scissoring gesture in the air, "friendship dead. I guess that was the easiest way to deal with everything that had happened. The guilt and the pain could be cut off just like you were. For half a year, I told myself that I was fine, that I'd moved on. You were managing Stranger Enterprises on your own, I knew you'd have your family safe somewhere - we could survive perfectly well without each other. And then today," he paused, his lips twitching into a frown as he stared down at the table between them.

"Today?" she prompted, her heart in her mouth.

He sighed and looked back to her. Much to her astonishment, his eyes were wet. "Today when I looked at you, I found out that there are some ties that can't be broken. Your family will always be your family." Nothing would've stopped Hermione from getting round that table and launching herself into Tony's waiting arms. "And you're mine, kid..."

* * *

A/N Yay! So glad to have those two reunited.

It was interesting to get into the mindset of these characters in regards to what they know at this time - or rather, what they _don't_ know about what's coming. I know that Thanos was able to destroy the Stones in Endgame and Wanda took out the Mind Stone in Infinity War, but you can see why Hermione would come to the conclusion that attempting to destroy them would be a bad idea. Also, according to the Russos, the Stones were only 'reduced the atomic level' in Endgame, not eradicated, and therefore still exist in the universe, so Hermione is technically right in her view that you would never be completely rid of them. So, what do you think she and the others will do? What's their plan?

I loved writing the Guardians cameo. September is one of my absolute favourite songs and I feel like it would fit in very well on a Guardians soundtrack. Worth mentioning that I have no rights to Earth, Wind and Fire's lyrics!

I know that there was absolutely no reference to what's happening with Hermione and her family this time but that will be looked at in the next chapter.

Let me know what you think - your words of encouragement really do have a big impact and motivate me to keep going after all this time.

Keep safe!

Lil Drop of Magic


	7. Chapter 7

A/N Eek! Sorry, guys. I know it's been a long time. I'm particularly sorry that my quietness got some of you worried about my health during these troubling times but I'm absolutely fine. For no particular reason, my desire to engage with any of my stories completely vanished for a few months. That's all there was to it. Thank you to everyone who's been reading, following and reviewing. I hope you enjoy the chapter!

* * *

Hermione sat up in bed with a gasp and stared wildly around her, looking for the threat - _looking for Thanos_.

"It's OK," a calming voice told her, accompanied by a gentle hand on her lower back. "It was just a dream, sweetheart."

Heart still racing, Hermione turned to Steve, eager for more reassurance. He sat up, pushing the bed cover away from her flushed body and brought his hand up to the side of her face. "You're safe. There's no fight," he told her. She soaked in his words, his touch and the comforting familiarity of him. With a forced deep breath, she closed her eyes and laid her forehead against his, letting him feel her distress. Steve continued to murmur soothing words and stroked her face, her arms and her back until her fears were eventually back under control.

"Thank you," she whispered, kissing him softly before allowing herself to be tucked further into his embrace as they lay back down on the bed. "I think the dreams are getting worse," she said after a few moments' thoughtful silence. "They're certainly happening more often, aren't they? Maybe I need to start taking dreamless sleep potion again."

Steve laced his fingers through hers and brought them up to his lips. After a quick kiss, he asked, "Is that really what you want?"

"Of course not," she sighed. It had taken her months to wean herself off of the potion after the events surrounding Lucy's traumatic birth, and she always felt more comfortable within herself when she wasn't relying on the substance.

"Why don't you have a session with Sam?" Steve suggested. "You can really talk it over and see how you feel - maybe discuss why the dreams might be occurring in the first place."

Hermione nodded. "Good idea. Maybe he'll have time after I get back from New York."

"I expect so." He pulled her close and delivered a kiss to the top of her head. "Do you want to try and get back to sleep?"

She shook her head - she might have calmed down but there was no way that she would be able to fall asleep now. "What time is it?" she asked. She felt Steve shift underneath her as he craned his head to look at the clock on his bedside table.

"Nearly five," he said, returning his head to the pillow.

Hermione made a small noise to show her surprise that the morning had progressed further than she'd assumed. "She'll be awake soon," she murmured.

There was a rumble from Steve's chest as he hummed in agreement. "I reckon we've got a good half an hour before that happens."

Hermione's fingers had been dancing a lazy pattern across Steve's chest but she stilled at his words, a small grin settling on her face that she knew he couldn't see. "A good half an hour," she repeated, her fingers resuming their dance but now with newfound intent. "Interesting."

"Baobei," Steve said, his voice already markedly deeper than before as Hermione's wandering hand had his body shifting below hers. "You sure?"

Perhaps distracting herself from her nightmare by having sex with her husband wasn't the _ideal_ way to move on from the trauma, but she wasn't about to go and wake Sam up to discuss the pros and cons of it with him right then (or ever, for that matter). At that moment she needed comfort and reassurance that this was all real, that Thanos hadn't taken everything away from her like she'd once been led to believe. Her connection with Steve, the way he made her feel, was about as real as anything could be. She wanted and needed this. In one swift movement, Hermione swung her leg over his hips so that she was straddling him and dipped her head eagerly down to him, her lips so close to his but not quite touching. "I'm sure," she said breathily, delivering a couple of sweet, teasing kisses as Steve buried a hand into her hair.

"So beautiful," he murmured against her lips. She let out a stifled squeal as he flipped them over, which turned into a moan as he started lavishing her neck with kisses that left her burning with need. She let her desire and love flow through to Steve, momentarily distracting him from his amorous attentions as his breathing hitched next to the pulse point of her neck. He placed a fluttering kiss there and then returned to her lips. "I love you so much," he told her, before kissing her deeply.

For the next thirty-odd minutes, it felt like nothing else existed for Hermione except her connection with Steve. After taking a few minutes to recover her breath and get a hold of her senses, she reluctantly left the bed to take a shower in the adjoining bathroom - only to have Steve join her under the steaming liquid less than two minutes later, cheekily expressing a desire to conserve water in response to her questioning of his presence. Hermione rolled her eyes and blew some of her foamy body wash in his face.

Lucy was still asleep when Hermione quietly let herself into her daughter's room, her sleep-tousled curls half obscuring her face. One particular lock of her light caramel hair fluttered in front of her mouth whenever she breathed and Hermione was content to just watch the peaceful sight while it lasted, because she was well aware that once Lucy was awake there would be little chance to relax. Thanks to her experiences with Teddy Lupin and little James Potter, Hermione knew that all toddlers were a handful, but when it came to Lucy, the energy levels the two year old possessed seemed to be taken up another level. It took a lot to tire the little girl out and she wasn't a great sleeper even then. Hermione and Steve were pretty sure that his super serum was to blame but they'd anticipated this would be the case from the moment the pregnancy was discovered. Thankfully, given their own levels of increased stamina, the two of them were in the best position to take care of their daughter, and they were even lucky to have a small team around them to help out, too. It was quite a contrast to how isolated Hermione had felt two years ago and it was only possible thanks to the generosity of Astoria Malfoy.

Both Hermione and Draco had tried to advise Tori against opening up her property given Steve's fugitive status, but the young Mrs Malfoy had waved all concerns away, pointing out that Steve wasn't wanted in the magical world and that Hermione's family would be doing her a favour by moving in because magical houses deteriorated quickly when left unoccupied. Hermione had still attempted to change Astoria's mind - not because she wasn't grateful, but because it was such an enormous gift to give someone you'd only just met.

"Well, darling, while you're right that we have only been acquainted for a few days, the truth is that I feel like I've known you for ages," Tori had told her when they'd met for a cup of tea a week after the initial proposal. "You've done so much for others over the years by helping to save both the magical and muggle world, and most ordinary people won't ever be in a position to repay their debt to you but _I am_."

"It's not a debt, Tori. Nobody owes me anything," Hermione insisted.

"If you say so, darling, but in the end it all boils down to me being able and willing to help a young family." Astoria took a sip of tea and Hermione noticed that the cup trembled slightly in her hand when she placed it back on the saucer. "I try to put a brave face on things but the truth of the matter is that my curse puts a large dampener on my life choices. I would actually love to have a job. Does that sound silly? I know that thanks to the fortunes Draco and I have access to that I don't have to work, but it seems like a waste of all those years of studying not to find some way to put my talents to good use. I think I would have liked to work at St Mungo's - try and put something back into the health providers that have looked after me all my life. Or maybe I could have worked with muggles. I really do find them so interesting." She giggled. "Could you imagine what mine and Draco's parents would have said about that?"

Hermione smiled.

"Anyway, darling, what I'm trying to say is that helping you and your family - that's something I _can_ do, and with a glad heart to boot, if you'll let me."

After that, things had fallen into place quite quickly. Hermione was careful not to communicate with Steve directly and Harry was happy to be used as a go-between. Her best friend had fewer reservations about the intended move than she'd anticipated, eventually revealing that he had come to see a change in Malfoy over the last few months. Harry also had a favourable opinion of Astoria on the few occasions that he'd met her.

As far as Hermione knew, the move from Wakanda to Salter House went off without a hitch. She'd deemed it too risky to be there when her family had arrived. T'Challa had previously put the quinjet Steve and Bucky had flown to Siberia into secure storage in Wakanda, meaning that Natasha merely had to ensure that the stealth mode was continuously enabled throughout the flight, and then Astoria momentarily lowered the wards around the property so that the jet could land.

It wasn't until two weeks later that Hermione made the trip back to the UK. It was an emotional reunion and she was relieved that her family had settled in as well as could be hoped. She had wanted nothing more than to stay there with them forever, and Steve certainly did his best to try and convince her. He might have succeeded, too, had Hermione not been visited by the Sorceress Supreme a couple of days before her trip to Salter House. It had been a difficult discussion when she told Steve of her intention to base herself in Kathmandu for an indeterminate future. It was plainly obvious that he didn't want her to be so far away from her family but he was accepting of her decision, particularly given that it would keep any attention away from Salter House. Before beginning her journey to Nepal, Hermione made sure to hold her daughter in her bare arms for the first time, and gently let Lucy feel her love for a few seconds. Astoria gave her a large box of truffles to take with her so that she might make new friends quickly at Kamar-Taj, which were very well received by the Masters, much to Hermione's surprise.

The separation was as hard as ever but Hermione had to content herself that Lucy, Steve and Nat were in safe hands. And so, with that in mind, it came as something of a shock when she was summoned before a UN panel to be informed that both Steve and Natasha were suspected of breaking Wanda and Sam from a secure facility. Hermione was able to plead total ignorance of the jailbreak and she was cleared of any involvement after her whereabouts and recent movements could be accounted for, as well as the fact that she'd never been informed of Wanda and Sam's new location after their removal from the Raft Prison. As relieved as she was that her friends were out of Ross's clutches, Hermione was devastated that Steve had severed any chance he'd had of being pardoned by the UN after tempers had cooled in the months since the introduction of the Accords. As soon as it had been safe to do so, Hermione had created a portal straight to Salter House so that she could 'Facetime' Steve.

"Look, I know you're mad, sweetheart, but we had to get them out," he told her calmly through the sparking circle. "The thought of Wanda and Sam locked up has been eating away at me for months."

"You think it hasn't been bothering me too?" Hermione retorted. "You think I just forgot about them?"

"No, of course not, but your hands are tied by the law," Steve explained. "Mine aren't. I owed it to them to get them out."

"Steve, I've been working on getting Sam and Wanda released _legally_," she informed him in frustration but he shook his head.

"Look, it's all well and good for you to try and fix everything from your position up in the Himalayas, but while you were negotiating with all your good intentions, nothing was happening for Sam and Wanda - they were still locked up and would've been for a very long time to come."

Hermione's gaze hardened, stung by his words. "Actually, my ineffectual _good intentions_ meant that reviews into their sentences were due to be held in a few weeks."

Steve paused, looking chagrined. "I'm sorry," he said, "but you and I both know they never would have let Wanda out - not with the freedoms she'd get with us."

"Freedoms?!" Hermione scoffed. "She won't even be able to walk down a street, Steve!"

He shook his head again. "You and I both know that there are ways around that," he pointed out. "Wanda and Sam weren't kidnapped - they came with us of their own accord and they're so grateful that their ordeals are over. They send you their love, by the way, and want to know when you're coming back to Salter for a visit."

Hermione's gut clenched with guilt. "Soon," she replied tightly and then deflated a little. "I'm pleased that they're safe, really I am. I didn't mean to imply otherwise, it's just - "

"I know," Steve cut in gently. "The future we wanted for our family, the life together you've been working so hard to bring about…" There was a prolonged silence between them as they mourned the loss of their chance to openly be together for a very long time. Steve had ultimately made that decision. While Hermione didn't exactly disapprove of him rescuing their friends, she wished he'd spoken to her first - they'd agreed to work together again after everything that had happened with the Accords, after all. She knew why he hadn't though: he'd done what he could to ensure that the UN wouldn't be able to blame her - even forgoing any obvious magical assistance from Harry or Astoria that no doubt would've made the rescue attempt easier, just so that they would avoid suspicion coming her way. Her heart ached for him and because of him, but she knew the character of the man she had married and, though it would certainly make her life easier, she wouldn't have him any other way.

"I'll keep fighting for it," she vowed, her voice wavering slightly.

Steve smiled. "I know, Baobei."

In all the months that followed, Hermione had kept her word by petitioning the Security Council and meeting with influential members of the UN, but it soon became clear that as long as Secretary Ross was ruling the roost, there was no chance of Steve being pardoned. There was always hope that he and the others would one day earn their freedom but, as time went by, everyone at Salter House got used to their new life and found it a satisfactory mode of living. Life was never dull with access to magic users and a baby around. Hermione checked in with them frequently via portals while studying at Kamar-Taj, though she was careful never to step foot there when she hadn't been given permission. She saw that her mismatched family were happy, which made her separation from them bearable even though it still cut her deeply.

In the end, she had spent around sixth months basing herself at Kathmandu before she felt that she had competent control of the Mystic Arts. She continued to study, of course, and paid regular visits to Kamar-Taj and its various Masters when permission was granted. However, she chose not to return to New York as her primary location - Avengers Tower had been packed up whilst she was still in Nepal and she had no great desire to live at the Upstate facility when there was another home waiting for her. She told Ross and the council that she was returning to her ancestral home in England. They all still believed her original S.H.I.E.L.D cover story that her magic descended through the females in her family and, though they didn't like it, they believed her when she said that her grandmother's spells and enchantments had kept unwanted visitors away from the house for decades and would continue to do so.

Ross's gaze bored into hers at that declaration, his expression granite. "And what about wanted visitors?" he asked. "Can they get in?"

"Yes," she replied calmly.

"So, if I were to send a couple of representatives to make sure there's no threat, they'd be welcomed in?" he posed.

Hermione smiled tightly at his choice of words. He'd phrased his question to make it sound like he was seeking to protect her but they both knew that the threat he was referring to was Steve and the others. "I would be more than happy to show around anyone you select but I'm afraid the house itself is a bit more choosy. The magic that's seeped into the building over the generations has resulted in it becoming almost a sentient being. If it doesn't trust someone, it won't let them step foot into the grounds, let alone inside the house itself."

The other members of the council looked politely surprised but Ross grunted. "How convenient."

Hermione shrugged, her guilt at lying to Ross had vanished many months ago. "It's kept the house and my family safe for hundreds of years."

It was decided that a small team would travel to England comprising two of Ross's government cronies as well as Rhodey and Vision. As Hermione and the others had planned for, Rhodey and Vision were able to enter the grounds without any problem but Ross's men couldn't get past an invisible barrier. The dead-eyed stares they gave her were carbon copies of Secretary Ross, but she refused to be intimidated when she was so close to getting what she wanted.

"We'll get a team here to set up surveillance around the perimeter to give you warning of any intruders in the future," one of the men said tonelessly. Hermione barely refrained from rolling her eyes. Given that the barriers easily prevented intruders, the surveillance was obviously being set up to look out for Steve and the other rebels.

"Thank you," she said, with only a small hint of sarcasm before turning to Rhodey and Vision so that the three of them could walk up to the house. There was a joyful reunion once they were inside.

Rhodey had figured out that Hermione was in contact with Steve during their trip to Wakanda and had faithfully kept her secret ever since. Vision had only recently broached the subject with her due to his concern and wish to know about Wanda's whereabouts after her breakout. Hermione watched the two misfits reunite with a knowing smile on her face before she was tugged into Steve's side, Lucy held securely in his other arm. "Welcome home, my love," he said quietly and delivered a kiss to her cheek.

Less than an hour later, Rhodey and Vision confirmed to Ross that they'd seen nothing that concerned them, and Hermione was given the all-clear to make Salter House her primary residence. She still travelled frequently due to her commitments to the UN, Stranger Enterprises and continuing her studies, and she made sure to visit Wakanda every month or so. It had crossed her mind to make it known that she was moving Lucy to Salter House so that she didn't have to pretend she didn't see her daughter as much as she really did, but it was safer for Ross to presume that she was in the secretive country. Her trips to Wakanda to 'see her daughter' also provided perfect cover for what she was really doing there.

It had scared her a lot more than she'd anticipated to be in Bucky's presence once more. She had only ever really seen him when the Winter Soldier had been dominant, and at first she had to constantly remind herself that Shuri had worked extensively with him to diminish that brainwashing. Bucky was uncomfortable around her too, his gaze cautious and his responses to her questions curt, but over time they gradually became more at ease with one another. Hermione had started opening a portal to Salter House in her later visits so that Steve could step through and spend time with his best friend. When a year had passed without any signs of the Winter Soldier emerging, the offer was made for Bucky to join them in the UK but he refused: he was content with his new life in Wakanda and didn't want to do anything to disrupt the new inner calm that he'd found. Hermione knew that Steve was disappointed even though he was pleased that his friend was finally at peace.

The truth was that life was busy enough at Salter without Bucky becoming a permanent resident. The five adults and sole child that lived there were often visited by Harry, Ginny and young James. Astoria was also a frequent welcome guest, charming everyone with her joy and generosity. Hermione viewed Natasha and Tori to be pretty much opposites in their personalities, but she was surprised to discover the women had almost instantly become as thick as thieves the first time that she'd popped back from Kamar-Taj. Unsurprisingly, it took Draco a lot longer to be accepted. Hermione had a feeling that this was mostly achieved due to everyone's affection for Astoria - they liked Draco through her. His obvious adoration of his wife certainly showcased a more appealing side to him and before long he was throwing just as much snark back at Nat and Sam as he was receiving. Around Christmas time, it was revealed that their extended mismatched family would be increasing by two: both Ginny and Astoria were pregnant. Although the announcements were met with joy, everyone was aware that it might cost Astoria everything. She put a brave face on things as she always did, but the strain that Draco was under was evident. The rebels did everything they could to help the couple and Hermione had tried countless times to use her own healing abilities to rid Tori of the effects of the curse even before she'd become pregnant, but every attempt had proved unsuccessful. There were times over the weeks and months when Astoria's delicate health seemed to be failing and yet, by some miracle, Scorpius Malfoy arrived in August, just a couple of weeks after Albus Potter. Tori was gravely ill for many weeks and everyone feared that she wouldn't recover. It was the ceaseless work of a healer that finally helped Astoria turn the corner. Even now, nearly nine months after the birth of Scorpius, she wasn't back to her former self and it was doubtful she ever would be, but she was still Astoria through it all. She adored her son and it was clear that she'd do it all over again if she was given the choice.

Rhodey and Vision also visited, and even Peter had spent a memorable week with 'his cousin' in summer. He'd been almost giddy with excitement at first, though he'd tried his best to be cool, and spent the week soaking up advice from his heroes and offering to do everything he could to help them - even doing the dishes each night despite Hermione telling him she could do it with magic.

The accords had torn her family apart but, piece by piece, they were almost back together.

Almost.

She and Tony had reconciled but he'd never come to Salter. He was welcome and he knew it - when they'd been together in secure locations, Hermione had even created portals for him so that he could facetime them all, but he'd never been able to bring himself over the threshold. The familial bond between Hermione and Tony wasn't the same as his relationship with any of the other rebels. The division between Steve and Tony was still tangible, and probably always would be. They had spoken, apologised and even shook hands through the glowing circle, but ultimately remained apart. Perhaps it was for the best. Since the break, very few disasters had reared their ugly heads. Yes, the Masters had dealt with Dormammu, and Peter had faced his own battle against the Vulture, but the escalating spiral of conflicts (Midtown, Greenwich, the Triskelion, Sokovia) had been combated. The world wasn't exactly at peace, but Hermione would rather not return to the sorts of dangers that had reared up in the past. If this was as good as it got, then she'd take it.

Lucy began to stir. Hermione reached into her daughter's bed and gently stroked her face, silently telling the little girl that all was well and that she was loved. "Mama," a sleepy voice murmured followed by two arms poking up from under the blanket. Hermione lifted Lucy into her arms, holding the sleepy toddler against her chest as she swayed from side to side.

"Good morning, little love," she said softly. "Did you sleep OK?" She felt Lucy's head nod in agreement and she smiled. "Good. Shall we get you washed and dressed, Lucylou? And then have some breakfast?"

"No," Lucy said stubbornly and clung to her mother more tightly, burying her face into her neck.

Hermione smiled again. "All right. You can have Mummy-cuddles for a little bit longer but then we've got to get you cleaned up." Lucy snuggled against her and Hermione allowed mild feelings of contentment and love to pass over to her daughter. The two of them had come so far since Hermione had been too scared to even touch her newborn child. As her contact with Lucy became more regular, Hermione had worried that the mother-daughter bond would never be properly formed - especially as they spent long periods apart. Once Hermione had moved back to the UK, the development of her relationship with Lucy was her main priority. She struggled at first, there was no doubt about that. Everyone else in the house knew much better than she did how to take care of her own child - even Tori and Draco. She'd cried about her failings as a mother on more than one occasion and it was only the gentle, probing questioning of Sam during their next session that had set her on a path to coping with her worries. He told her to cut herself slack: she might not know the most effective ways of calming the cries of her daughter or getting her to sleep, but she'd still been acting as a mother all the past months by protecting her child.

"D'you think I knew how to change a diaper or prepare Lucy's feed properly when I first got here?" Sam asked. "You'll pick it up, Mi. And if you make mistakes, it's OK - we've all been there. My throw-up covered sneakers can vouch for that." Hermione snorted despite her anxiety. "It's just a part of learning, that's all."

Understandably, it still took time for Hermione to feel more comfortable in her role as Lucy's mother and, in the end, the gifts that she was so terrified would hurt her child actually brought them closer together. As soon as Hermione started letting small hints of her love flow through to her child, the beaming smiles and fingers grabbing at any part of Hermione that Lucy could touch told everyone that the baby could feel the emotions. Lucy soon became happiest in her mother's embrace, was calmed much quicker with Hermione's reassuring touch, and slept more soundly when put to bed with the soothing and loving hold her mother provided as she rocked her back and forth in a rocking chair, singing softly to her. She even became so adept at becoming a 'baby whisperer' that the Potters and Malfoys often begged for her help when they were having difficulties with Al or Scorpius.

Steve stepped into the nursery. "Morning, Luce," he greeted and the baby girl immediately reached out for her father. She might have a special bond with her mum, but Lucy was still very much a Daddy's girl. Hermione was hardly surprised. There wasn't a day that had gone by since she'd been born that Steve hadn't been by her side - even when they'd sprung Sam and Wanda from the facility. Lucy adored her dad and she, in turn, was the apple of his eye.

As Steve leaned over to take Lucy into his arms, he delivered a fleeting kiss against Hermione's lips. She felt warmth spread through her body and she hit him playfully on the arm when he quirked an eyebrow suggestively at her.

Before the family were even halfway through their breakfast, Natasha appeared, awakened by the aroma of pancakes. Sam joined them not long after, sweating from the morning workout he'd completed in the former stables that they'd converted into a gym. Wanda was always the last one to rise in the mornings but she hadn't stayed at Salter last night, the evening before that, or even for the previous week. She and Vision had gone away together. It was risky, they all knew that, but Wanda needed some time away from the house. Sure, they'd all gone out on day trips over the past months thanks to some magical assistance, but the group had recognised that Wanda needed something more substantial. She was a young woman who needed to get out and live some semblance of a normal life, and if she found it with Vision then who was Hermione to stop them? Wanda had checked in daily and so far nothing had gone amiss.

"What time are you headed into work?" Natasha asked, spooning blueberries onto her plate.

"My first meeting in New York is at nine so I'll leave just after lunch," Hermione answered.

"Good," Natasha replied. "You'll be here to help me plot with the others."

"Plot?" Steve asked, a frown making his forehead crease. "What are you plotting and who with?"

Nat looked at him like he was an idiot, but when he just gazed back cluelessly, she noisily put down her spoon and lifted a lock of her platinum-blonde hair. "What do you think?"

"Ah," Steve said delicately, though Hermione could see he was trying not to laugh. Hermione was hiding her own grin behind her cup of tea and Sam was sniggering into his smoothie.

"Yes, _Ah_," Natasha retorted scathingly. "Tori reckons that Draco made it permanent. Stop laughing, it isn't funny!" she told the three adults.

"I don't know," Sam denied, unphased by her cool glare, "Ripping on a guy all night for being from the Village of the Damned and then him turning round and jinxing your hair to match his in retaliation - that's pretty funny to me."

Hermione was certain that Draco had no clue what the Village of the Damned was but it had been obvious from Nat's tone that her comments were _not_ intended as a compliment. Practical jokes were often played throughout Salter and normally received in good humour, but if Nat's new blonde locks were permanent then the stakes had definitely been raised.

Unhappy with the lack of support or sympathy, Natasha looked to Lucy, who was spooning bits of pancake into her mouth as she watched the adults around her. "You don't think this whole thing is funny, do you?"

Lucy paused and then made a loud but wholly inarticulate sound but Natasha decided that the child had ruled in her favour. "Exactly, Lucy," Nat said, ruffling the little girl's curls slightly before kissing her forehead. "And that's why you're my favourite."

It was a morning like so many they'd had at Salter House but it was special all the same. Ginny and Astoria stepped through Hermione's portals into Salter not long after nine, bringing James, Albus and Scorpius with them. James was initially highly confused by Natasha's new blonde look before deciding it was the funniest joke in the history of the world, resulting in Nat chasing him halfway round the house to dish out some ticklish revenge. Steve took pity on the ailing Astoria and took Scorpius off her hands for a walk around the grounds. Ginny told them about the latest Ministry news that wouldn't feature in the Prophet, and Sam once again argued the case for them getting some sort of pet in the house - he didn't manage to convince them.

After lunch, Hermione bade farewell to her friends and stepped through a portal to her office in New York to begin her working day. She mostly worked from home but at least once a week she would travel to either the headquarters of Stranger Enterprises or to one of the outreach centres around the globe. She was lucky that her stamina was much stronger than most because her hops to different countries played havoc with her body clock, and she'd had to develop the ability to catch a few hours of sleep whenever she could. Her busy agenda included ten meetings, three conference calls, a mountain of paperwork and a working lunch (her second of the day) with two senators.

Hermione had barely been back in her office after her meal for five minutes when a portal appeared in front of her. She could make out the familiar interior of the New York Sanctum behind Wong and Stephen. It was unusual for them to use a portal so blatantly in her place of work, but all thoughts of protocol flew from her mind when a third figure appeared in the portal.

"Hermione," Bruce said. He looked relieved to see her but this was overshadowed by a greater sense of urgency that was radiating from all three of them. The next few words Bruce spoke told her why, and her whole world fell away. "It's happening - Thanos is coming!"

* * *

A/N This is such a strange chapter because next to nothing happens, but it's bringing you up to date with where Hermione and the others are approximately eighteen months after we last saw her. It's a significant time jump - one of the biggest of the series for sure - but, as you just read, we're ready to get into Infinity War properly now.

I'd love to hear what you think of Hermione's happy life at Salter House and any predictions you have for what the next few chapters will bring.

I hope you're all keeping safe. I'm confident you'll hear from me much quicker next time.

Love,

Lil Drop of Magic

PS I couldn't resist with Nat's hair. It just seemed so random to me that she'd gone white-blonde so I decided to put my little spin on it!


	8. Chapter 8

A/N Thanks for all your support. Here we go!

* * *

The instant Hermione stumbled out of a portal with that look on her face, Tony knew. The world momentarily swam grey before his eyes, but then he took a breath and his vision cleared. Whatever was coming they could put up one hell of a fight - that's what all these years of preparation had been for.

Pepper clutched at his arm, sensing the fraught atmosphere. Tony turned to her. Had they really been discussing the possibility of her being pregnant a few seconds ago? It might as well have been another lifetime if the reason for Hermione's abrupt presence was what he suspected. He simply pulled Pepper in close, kissed the top of her head and then strode towards Hermione's still active portal.

"Is it _him_?" Tony asked as he stepped over the threshold with her.

"Yes." The word came out bleak. Tony repressed a shudder.

On the other side of the portal, he only had a second to take in the forms of two unfamiliar men before, much to Tony's surprise, Bruce stepped forwards and embraced him tightly.

Very quickly, they all brought Tony up to speed: Thanos and the Infinity Stones, just as they'd feared.

Multiple thoughts and possible strategies began rearing in his mind but he needed more data - he needed to know how much time they had. "What's our timeline?" he asked Bruce.

"No telling," Bruce replied. "He has the Power and Space Stones - that already makes him the strongest creature in the whole universe. If he gets his hands on all six stones..."

"We know," Hermione said, her voice hollow. "He can wipe out half the galaxy in one stroke." Her hands balled into fists at her side and she turned to Tony, her gaze steely. "We need to start our defence. He could be here at any moment. However, with the Space Stone in his possession, he might not even need a ship to bring him here."

Tony swore. A vast majority of their defence scenarios had been planned out with the assumption that spacecrafts would be involved. Stranger Enterprises and Stark Industries had spent millions developing technology and equipping militaries around the world to defend the planet's skies, but now there was a chance their enemy would arrive without them being any the wiser. Still, they had to get the word out as a matter or urgency. He raised his watch to his mouth. "F.R.I.D.A.Y, put the word out to everyone on the list to be on their guard. Code Black. Further updates to follow imminently."

"Sure thing, boss."

Tony's gaze switched to the two men in robes. He'd heard about Strange and Wong through Hermione but this was the first time they'd come face to face. Though their small group might not know too much about the impending arrival of Thanos, they _did_ know what the crazy bastard was coming for: the remaining Stones. They had to take advantage of that. "Look, when we didn't know that Thanos was actively on his way here, I was reasonably happy to let you wear a Stone like a necklace," Tony told Strange, whose eyes narrowed. "But I think we can all agree that it's not safe just dangling there where anyone can make a play for it."

"You underestimate the capabilities of the Masters of the Mystic Arts and insult the oath we swore to protect the Time Stone with our lives," Strange said coldly.

"Not true," Tony denied coolly. "I just refuse to underestimate Thanos. You heard what Hermione said - half the galaxy gone in a heartbeat if we fail. I'm going to do everything I can to make sure that doesn't happen even if it means prickling your ego."

"_My_ ego?" Strange scoffed. He looked set to make a further caustic comment but Hermione's voice cut him off.

"Enough. The Time Stone stays with Stephen and Wong. We know where it is and it can be protected," she told them all, her tone brooking no argument. She turned to Tony. "We need to get in contact with Vision."

He stared at her in amazement. "What - you haven't already warned him?"

"I tried before we got you - he didn't respond and neither did Wanda when I tried her. I can't even portal to him because she's giving off natural interference to protect them both," she explained. "But you can find him, can't you? He has to know what might be coming."

"Shit," Tony muttered, running a hand over his face. "No, he turned off his transponder two weeks ago when he left to meet Wanda. I can't trace him when he's offline."

She put her hand to her head, matching Tony's dismay.

"Have you told everyone at Salter?" he asked. Cap and the others could carry on trying to get in contact with Wanda and Vision while he and Hermione started rallying the world's defences. To his surprise, Hermione groaned and raised another hand to her head, her eyes screwed up.

"Doesn't anyone else hear that?" she said, her voice strained as though she was in great pain.

The men looked at each other in bewilderment.

"Hear what?" asked Wong.

Then Tony saw it. A lock of Strange's hair was fluttering. "Say, Doc, you wouldn't happen to be moving your hair, would you?"

Strange's eye glanced upwards as Hermione hissed in another painful breath. "Not at the moment, no," he said slowly.

The only place such a strong breeze could be coming from was the rather large hole Bruce had created when he'd crashed into the Sanctum. Tony scrutinised the opening and, as he watched, some debris flew past outside, obviously caught up in an incredibly powerful gust of air. It could be nothing, of course, but something in Tony's gut told him that this was it: showtime.

Tony placed his sunglasses over his eyes to give him a stronger connection to F.R.I.D.A.Y and led the way out onto the street, his arm around the struggling Hermione. The strength of the wind was more obvious here and members of the public were all running in the same direction - many with panicked screams.

Hermione stepped away from Tony's supporting arm, holding her hands up to prevent a car from crashing into a lamp post. The terrified driver half fell out of the car and joined the others desperately trying to get away.

"Granger, are you good?" Tony asked, pausing for just a moment to check on her.

When she turned, her face was still pinched with the mysterious pain that she was experiencing. "I'll manage," she said through gritted teeth, following him down the street.

There was still no sign of whatever was causing this mass-panic. "F.R.I.D.A.Y, what am I looking at?" he asked, going against the flow of rushing people and, as ever, heading towards the very thing others were fleeing from.

"Not sure, I'm working on it," the voice replied.

"Hey," Tony called, briefly turning around to address Strange. "You might wanna put that Time Stone in your back pocket, Doc!"

"Might wanna use it," Strange pointed out, creating glowing symbols around his wrists.

Reaching the corner, Tony craned his head round to look down the next street but had to step backwards immediately as debris flew towards him at great speed. He tried again and took a few jogging steps into the road that was filled with abandoned cars to get a better look at the threat. A huge structure hovered in the air, the force of its engines creating the buffeting wind. "F.R.I.D.A.Y, evac anyone south of forty-third street, notify first responders," he instructed as Hermione spoke into a device at her wrist seeking immediate contact with anyone at the Security Council.

Strange made a few complicated gestures with his hands and finished with a sweeping motion, neutralising the effect of the wind. The five of them walked closer to the craft, alert for any attack that might come.

"Yes, requesting air support," Hermione said urgently. "Spaceship in Greenwich Village, over Bleecker Street. No sign of hostiles yet. Emergency services to assist with evacuation of civilians - do not approach the ship."

A blue light beamed down from the front of the craft onto the street and, a moment later, two figures were revealed: one was large, muscular and held a battleaxe; the other was small and slender.

"The Black Order," Hermione gasped from where she stood next to Tony.

"Black Order?" Wong repeated, the term clearly unfamiliar to him but its significance was not lost on Tony: thanks to Hermione's information, his notes on the Infinity Stones were extensive, but he'd long had them committed to memory.

"They're children of Thanos," Hermione explained bleakly. "Like me."

"_Not_ like you," Bruce said confidently, placing a supportive hand on her shoulder.

"Yeah, I'm really not seeing the family resemblance," Strange told her.

"Your real family is right here," Tony said, taking his eyes off his enemies for the briefest moment to give her a reassuring glance.

"Thanks," she said, before quickly speaking into her wrist device to update the situation.

"Hear me and rejoice," the smaller of the brethren announced. Tony remembered that he was called Ebony Maw and had telekinetic powers, meaning that despite his size, he was probably the more dangerous of the two. "You are about to die at the hands of the Children of Thanos."

"Not if this child of Thanos has anything to say about it," Hermione called, making Maw's lip curl with loathing.

"Abomination," he sneered but Hermione ignored him.

"Shield," she instructed lowly and then she was gone. Strange and Wong made strong motions with their arms and a glowing barrier appeared in front of the men. Through it, Tony could see the abandoned cars suddenly shoot towards the aliens. Cull Obsidian battered a couple aside with his axe and Maw swatted the rest aside easily with his telekinesis. He relaunched a couple of wrecked cars back towards Tony and the others but the wizards' barrier held firm. Distracted by the cars, none of them noticed the portal appearing over Obsidian's head until his body had been abruptly levitated a few feet off the ground. The portal closed around his neck, decapitating the huge alien in a single stroke. Tony flinched as the headless body collapsed to the ground with a crash, shocked at the level of ruthlessness that Hermione had never displayed before. She had remained hidden throughout her assault but Maw abruptly let out a high-pitched whistle and she suddenly appeared a few feet beyond their protective barrier, crumpled on the floor with her hands once again over her head to stave off some invisible pain.

"Yes, you hear them, don't you?" Maw crooned, looking wickedly pleased.

Tony didn't like the sound of that. He pulled the cords of his workout clothes and tapped the glowing chest attachment so that his nano-tech suit started to deploy around him.

Through her pain, Hermione struck out at Maw, throwing him off his feet, but he used his own power to right himself, hovering a few inches off the ground. "Our father had them bred just for you," he told Hermione smoothly, as though nothing had happened. "They're trained on your scent, sister, and want nothing more than to rip every trace of you from existence." He signalled with his hand in the direction of the ship and the blue light beamed down again.

Gremlins, gargoyles, Tony wasn't sure what they were called. They were all different shapes and sizes but they all had nightmarish features in common: rows of needle-sharp teeth, wickedly sharp claws and talons, oily black hides and hate-filled eyes. A holographic cage kept the creatures contained but they were scratching and scrabbling against the barriers in their desperation to get to Hermione. Tony couldn't hear the cries of the ugly brutes that were obviously affecting her so badly, but he felt a shiver down his spine nonetheless.

Suit now fully formed, Tony braced himself to come to her aid if those beasts were released. He quickly glanced at Bruce. "Are you gonna Hulk-up, Banner?"

His long-absent friend didn't look very enthusiastic about the idea but he nodded. "Yeah, I guess."

Tony returned his attention to Maw and Granger in time to see him duck away from one of her spells but it still struck the alien-equivalent of his collarbone, the bone piercing through his flesh. If the magic had hit where she'd intended, Tony was sure that she would've snapped his neck. Maw let out a piercing shriek at the pain and temporarily lost control of his telekinetic abilities, making him fall to the ground. Tony fired up a repulsor, ready to finish the creepy dude off, but the ground beneath his feet shot into the air as fast as a bullet, throwing him hundreds of feet into the sky. Irritated, he zoomed back down to street level but, in his momentary absence, all had kicked off. The demon-beasts had been released and there were far more than Tony had realised. Most had focused their attack on Hermione and she was creating portals and unleashing endless spells to take them down. He wondered why she didn't just apparate away, remove herself from the danger, but then he saw that a few of the creatures were bearing down on the others - perhaps they could detect her scent on the men, too. If she left, the beasts would just focus on whatever traces of her were left for them here.

For some reason, Bruce hadn't brought out the Hulk yet and a number of the devils had made a beeline for him. Tony blasted the first away but its smoking remains did nothing to deter the half-dozen that were still locked on Banner, who was scrambling away quickly. A portal suddenly appeared next to Bruce and he fell through it. Strange closed it before the beasts could follow him and turned just in time to block a beast attack of his own - the creature's massive jaw kept apart by a strand of glowing magic. Tony used a repulsor to get rid of it and landed next to Strange. "Gotta get that Stone outta here, now," he ordered.

Strange shook his head. "It stays with me," he vowed resolutely.

"Exactly. _Bye_," Tony said shortly, taking off to go to Hermione's aid, or to take out Maw should the opportunity present itself. A beast took a flying leap at him but he created a nano-shield in a heartbeat to swat it away. Dozens of the horrid things were still focused on Hermione. The strain of keeping them away whilst fighting through the pain their very existence seemed to cause her was clear on her face. Wong was helping her by producing different shields, portals and restraints but Tony knew that if just one of those creatures got through, there was a high chance that she would be overwhelmed and her defence might fall.

A double-headed, humpbacked monstrosity flew at Tony's face and started scrabbling around his head. He could feel the impact of the claws and teeth on his suit as it tried to rip it apart but the nanotech stood up to the task. He tried to grab the pest but it evaded him, leaving him partially blind. A weight tugged at his left leg and then another on his right - the creatures were trying to drag him down. He powered up his whole suit and a powerful blast burst out all around him, destroying the creatures in an instant. Tony's vision cleared just in time for him to see Maw use his powers to swing the fallen Obsidian's axe at him like it was a baseball bat. The force of the blow propelled him through the nearest building and he came to a stop against a tree in a small park.

Bruce came rushing over to his side. "Tony, you OK? How we doing? Good? Bad?"

"Really, really good," Tony replied cheerfully as he struggled to get to his feet. "Really good. Do you plan on helping out?"

Bruce looked a little sheepish. "I'm trying. He won't come out."

"Try again," Tony suggested. "If one of those beasts gets a hint of Hermione on you then you need to be able to protect yourself." Bruce nodded and screwed up his face in concentration.

"Boss, air support was requested by Mrs Rogers a few minutes ago," F.R.I.D.A.Y said. "The jets are on their way but the Secretary of Defense wants an update on the situation - Mrs Rogers isn't responding to him." Tony hoped that this was because she was merely too preoccupied and not because something terrible had happened to her in the few moments that he'd been away from the fight.

"Tell him that I recommend an airstrike on the ship," Tony instructed after only a short hesitation. With only Maw to take care of, it might not be necessary, but it would be a wise precaution to take the spaceship out of the equation. "Warn the first responders."

"Yes, Boss."

"Tony, they're back!" Bruce warned and then let out a yell. Two of the larger gargoyles had followed Tony through the hole he'd made in the building and had plucked Bruce into the air with their talons. Tony didn't risk using a repulsor in case he accidentally hit Bruce. He took off after them and was concerned to see blood stains seeping through Bruce's clothes where the talons had pierced his skin. One of the creatures looked set to sink its jaws into his neck.

A white substance suddenly encased the beast's head and a white cord looped around Bruce's waist, pulling him back down to the ground.

"Hey, Mr Stark!" an amiable voice called. Parker swung into view, his webbing taking out the second beast and another loop of the substance helped break Bruce's fall into a tree in the park.

"Kid, where'd you come from?" Tony asked as he plucked Bruce out of the branches to bring him down to solid ground.

"Field trip to MoMA," Parker replied. "Is he going to be OK?"

Bruce moaned and held a hand to his bloodied shoulder. "See, Hulk? This is your fault!"

Parker gasped. "Wait - you're Dr. Banner! Oh, man, I'm such a big fan." He held out a hand for Bruce to shake and then seemed to realise that it wasn't the best timing. "Er, sorry, I guess we can catch up later."

Bruce grimaced in the kid's direction. "Sure," he said tightly and then turned to Tony. "Leave me," he instructed. "You've got to help the others. I'll be OK - it's not as bad as it looks."

"You need to get her scent off you," Tony warned him and then pointed behind Bruce. "Jump into that water fountain and then get as far away as possible - the Air Force are on their way." He didn't feel happy about leaving Bruce behind but they needed to make sure that the Stone was safe. "I'll be back. Kid, let's go."

"What's the situation, Mr Stark?" Parker asked as he followed Tony up over the rooftops back towards Bleecker Street.

"It's Code Black, kid," Tony replied. "The Stones are our priority. Stick with the wizard in the red cloak."

To his credit, Parker didn't even flinch at the revelation that the long-planned-for battle against Thanos was underway. "Sure thing, Mr Stark."

"Watch out for Squidward - he's got telekinetic powers."

"O-OK," Parker stuttered, clearly surprised. "And what about those black things?"

"They're locked onto Hermione. Don't get close to her or they might pick her scent up on you," Tony warned as the battle site came into view once more and he quickly took stock of the situation.

Wong was down. He seemed to have come off worse in a battle with a fire hydrant because he was soaking wet but it meant, at least, that the hellish beasts couldn't detect Hermione on him and they had left him alone.

Despite the bone protruding below his chin, Maw had subdued Strange by restricting his airways and limbs with utility cables that he'd ripped from below the pavement. A pained yelp from Hermione showed why she'd been unable to prevent Maw from gaining the upper hand: the beasts had broken through her shield. He momentarily caught sight of her bloodied and wounded form before she turned to smoke to get away from the beasts. Maw whistled and the beasts howled. The pain this caused Hermione was enough to break her from her apparation form. The twenty or so creatures that were left rushed towards her, eyes manic and jaws salivating. Tony swooped towards her but -

"I've got you, cuz!" A loop of webbing lifted Hermione out of harm's way and into Parker's arms.

"Peter, no," Hermione said weakly. "Put me back. It's too dangerous - they'll rip through your suit."

"Then I guess I'll have to keep us moving and you can take them out as we go," Parker replied as he swung past Tony in the opposite direction, the black beasts chasing after them.

"Target is locked, Boss," F.R.I.D.A.Y told Tony as he changed course towards Maw and Strange. "Do the pilots proceed?"

"Affirmative," Tony grunted as the car Maw had propelled in his direction shunted him into the side of the building. "Granger, Parker, take cover - they're taking the ship down," he warned. Barely were the words out of his mouth when huge explosions detonated above him, setting off huge fireballs. The ground shook all around and a couple of the already damaged buildings collapsed.

There was a shout from Maw. "_No!_"

Tony turned to savour the devastation on the alien's face but was surprised to see that Maw's attention was focused on a rapidly disappearing red blur: Strange's sentient cloak was helping the unconscious Master to escape.

"I'm on it, Mr Stark," Parker said as he swung past in pursuit, carefully depositing Hermione a few yards away because her extra weight would slow him down. The chasing gargoyles swooped down on her, expertly avoiding her curses whenever she risked dropping her shield. Tony prepared to fly after Parker and Strange but Maw glanced back for just a moment to deliver a final devastating blow with a look of loathing in Hermione's direction. The four-storeyed building she was standing in front of fell forwards as though it was nothing more than a child's building block that had just been pushed over. Tony could see her dilemma in an instant: ward off the falling building or the beasts - there was no time to do both. He reacted instinctively, swerving under the structure even as the gap between the ground and the walls disappeared, and got to Hermione just in time to cover her body with the suit as the masonry tried to crush them both. F.R.I.D.A.Y started listing the damage to his suit as it bore the pressure of tonnes of rubble.

"T-Tony," Hermione gasped. He could see just a small part of her thanks to the light from his suit. There were deep claw marks on her cheek showing through the dust that coated the rest of her face.

"It's OK, I've got you," he reassured her.

"You should've let me die," she choked out. "The Stone - "

"The missiles," he began, intending to reassure her that they had the upper hand, but she interrupted him.

"They wouldn't have got through the ship's shields," she pointed out.

Sure enough, "Uhhh, Mr Stark, I'm being beamed up," the kid's voice called in his ear, confirming that the ship was still operational, and Tony cursed under his breath.

"Hang on, kid," he instructed calmly, not wanting to let Parker know his true feelings.

"Boss, the jets are returning for another strike," F.R.I.D.A.Y said.

"Tell them to call it off," Hermione told F.R.I.D.A.Y. "They're not going to make any impact and Peter and Stephen will just end up getting caught in the blasts."

"Agreed," Tony added.

"I think I can make a portal to get us out," Hermione told him, "But a lot of debris is going to fall through with us before I can close it."

"Do it," Tony instructed, bracing himself. "I'll cover you as much as I can."

"Don't worry about me," she argued. "I'll drop us from a height so that we can get on that ship."

"No, Hermione," he said firmly. "You need to stay on Earth - ready the planet's defence."

"Tony, if you get on that craft - "

"I know," he cut in. If he got on that ship there was a very high possibility that he wouldn't be coming back. Even if he survived whatever he found on that ship or the journey or confrontation that might follow, physically returning home would be very difficult. Hermione understood that better than anybody. Despite the pressing time factor or the entire building that was trying to flatten them, he retracted his face mask to look on her for one last time. "It's OK," he told her. He pressed his lips to her forehead and she placed one of her hands against his cheek, gifting him her love, courage and pride.

"OK," she breathed.

He was falling in a mid-afternoon New York sky, Hermione and the Hudson River underneath him, rubble all around him.

"_Go,_" she urged, turning into smoke and streaming away from the debris.

He did as suggested and caught sight of the spaceship rising rapidly into the atmosphere. Things were escalating more quickly than he'd anticipated. "Give me a little juice, F.R.I.D.A.Y." The thrusters in his feet morphed into one singular, larger jet and there was a clear increase in his speed.

"Look after Peter, won't you?" Hermione's voice requested.

"Already taken care of," he replied, having just instructed F.R.I.D.A.Y to launch the Iron Spider suit from its pod at the upstate facility. "He'll be coming back down shortly so keep an eye out for him."

"OK, will do. And remember, Tony, we have allies out there. Hopefully they'll come to your aid," she said, and he tried to be reassured by her words even if he thought that any assistance was unlikely. "Look out for portals - I'll come and get you as soon as it's safe to do so. Make sure your signal stays strong. I'll find you, I promise."

"I know," he said.

"Good luck, Tony."

"Thanks, kid. I won't let you down," he vowed. "Keep Pepper and the rest of the planet safe for me."

"I will," she said, her voice clearly emotional. "Goodbye, Tony."

He hated how final those words and her tone sounded. This couldn't be the end. He'd fight with every fibre of his being to stop Thanos's plot so that he could get back to the people he loved and see another day dawn on the horizon. "Goodbye, Hermione."

* * *

A/N Those words do sound a bit final, don't they? Hmm...

I enjoyed writing the more ruthless version of Hermione that we haven't really seen since the Guardians adventure. None of her Avengers friends saw what she was like when she was being a child of Thanos and the return of badass Hermione is certainly needed now... And while Tony and Hermione have spend time preparing for this encounter so has Thanos - he knows how dangerous Hermione is (he made her that way, after all) which is why he bred special outriders for her. What a nice dad.

Let me know what you think!

Keep safe.

Lil Drop of Magic


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